Mattapoisett Seeks Volunteers for 4th of July Celebration

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The Town of Mattapoisett is gearing up for an Independence Day celebration – and we need your help to make it happen.

            We’re calling on community members of all ages to volunteer for this year’s July festivities. We have several ideas that are being considered to present a Small-Town Celebration of The USA on the 250th birthday. The celebration will begin on the evening of July 3 and conclude possibly on Sunday, July 5. The programs are designed so as not to interfere with the annual road race or the parade in Marion. This will be family friendly and give us all chance to mark this big national celebration.

            There will be a meeting for anyone interested to help on November 12 at 6:00 pm at the legion hall on Depot street. We can share our ideas which are pretty simple but will take many volunteers to make happen.

            Questions may be emailed to theseamstress058@gmail.com.

Upcoming Events at the Elizabeth Taber Library

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On Monday, November 10 school may be out, but mad science is in session. Join us at 2:00 pm for a fire and ice show presented by Mad Science of Southern MA and RI! This program is for kids grades kindergarten and up. Please register via our website.

            November is international games month and on Saturday, November 15 you can play a life-size version of Chutes and Ladders at the Library. Stop by between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm to try your luck and see who wins.

            On Saturday, November 15 at 11:00 am, join Miss Macy for a Saturday Storytime.

            The Cozy Cup Book Club is meeting on November 12 at 11:00 am to discuss this month’s read “Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers” by Jesse Q. Sutanto. As always there is free tea and coffee! Copies are available at the circulation desk in the Library. Registration requested.

            Banned Book Club’s next meeting has been moved to Tuesday, December 9 at 6:00 pm.  Join us to discuss Laura Esquivel’s Like Water for Chocolate. No registration required.

            Ongoing in November- Spice Pantry free recipes and spice packets available all month long.

            For more information on the Elizabeth Taber Library visit us at www.ElizabethTaberLibrary.org or email the library at ETLibrary@sailsinc.org.  8 Spring Street Marion, MA 02738.  508-748-1252.

$1,000,000 Shaved off Fire Station

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            The former Country Fair Grounds on Pine Street became the focus of two important issues at the Rochester Select Board meeting on Monday.

            Town Administrator Cameron Durant gave the Finance Committee an update on the plans for the new fire station proposed for 65 Pine Street that included news of an approximate $1,000,000 projected cost reduction. He said a cost estimate of $20,500,000 in the initial design rendering stage has been shaved down to $19,500,000 by eliminating parts of the design.

            An elevator has been deleted from the plan on the assumption fire fighters physically fit to rescue fire victims will not need ADA compatibility per state exemption. The cost to purchase the equipment the current station already has, such as washers suitable for cleaning and detoxifying turnout gear, has also been eliminated. More savings will be realized by downgrading from curbing to Cape Cod berm.

            Durant added, however, that additional engineering costs will come in the next step of the plan, the formal design phase. The next step will be the Public Safety Building Committee holding public hearings on the design, he said. The public’s input will be pulled into the final proposal that will go to a spring or fall Town Meeting. There, residents will be asked to approve funds for a formal design contractor.

            Finance Committee members’ questions focused on where more savings could be found. One FinCom member asked if solar panels could be part of the design. Select Board Chair Adam Murphy said the town does not have all the design and engineering details. That is for the next step, Murphy said. Another FinCom member asked if the costs for equipment and furniture are part the estimate. Murphy said all soft costs are built in.

            Also that evening, Durant announced New England Rodeo wants a license to continue its use of the former 18.6-acre Country Fair grounds at 65 Pine Street in 2026. He said the rodeos that the Pine Street property hosted from June to October of this year were very successful. The town earned a revenue of $41,000 from the events this year. New England Rodeo wants to hold more rodeos than last year, Durant said. In 2025, the company held an average of two events per month. He said he is negotiating a new licensing agreement with the organization and will bring the results of that to a public hearing before there is formal approval.

            The board’s next big agenda item was hearing an update from Old Colony Regional Vocational-Technical High School officials on the $288,900,000 plan to construct a new state-of-the-art facility on the North Avenue campus that could require a debt exclusion override to fund. Murphy asked for more data on how a new school will add to Old Colony’s operational costs and the town’s part of the Old Colony budget. Old Colony representatives answered it will cost the five-member district (Acushnet, Carver, Lakeville, Mattapoisett, and Rochester) $5,000,000 more between now and 2033. School Business Manager Sarah Griffith was quick to add that a lot of assumptions are being made with these calculations projected into a long-range future.

            The Massachusetts School Building Authority’s reimbursement for the new school’s price tag is projected to be $129,000,000. But the share of the remaining costs among district members is approximately $160,000,000, to be assessed according to each town’s annual student enrollment. As a result, in Rochester, two warrants will be up for a vote at the November 18 Special Town Election that will also be held on a district-wide basis. One warrant will ask all district voters to approve the new building plan. The other will be the town’s question seeking approval of a debt-exclusion override to fund its share of the new construction.

            In other action, the board appointed Daniel Girard as a new full-time Rochester Police Department patrol officer, as recommended by Police Chief Michael Assad, Jr. “I had the distinct honor of directly supervising then-Detective Girard during my previous tenure as detective sergeant with the Mashpee Police Department, and I can personally attest to his professionalism, integrity and unwavering commitment to excellence,” Assad said when introducing Girard to the board.

            The board approved a new Verizon New England utility pole on the west side of Vaughn Hill Road.

            The board designated grant writer Marcia Kessler as a special employee for the town; she is also on the Board of Assessors.

            The board approved the new road name: Arrowhead Lane (off County Road).

            The next meeting of the Rochester Select Board is scheduled for Monday, November 17 at 6:00 pm at Town Hall, 1 Constitution Way.

Rochester Select Board

By Michael J. DeCicco

Toll Brothers Seeks Deal With Eversource

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            The Water & Sewer Regulations Review Committee met at the Town Hall Annex’s meeting room on October 23 with the hope of synthesizing some regulations and making them more user friendly to applicants.

            Committee members for consecutive weeks have waded through the regulations and some of the October 23 talking points included whether to impose steeper penalties on those who tamper with fire hydrants or public water in general; how to deal with delinquent customers; and the timeframe for when the Water & Sewer Commission should shut off water due to emergencies or delinquent customers.

            Right now, the town has a $300 fine for those who tamper with fire hydrants. Per regulations, only fire personnel can tamper with hydrants. WSRRC members said that they know of instances in which landscapers have used hydrants to hydroseed a property. WSRRC members noted whether a more strict penalty should be considered or whether another penalty from water and sewer officials would supersede other ordinances.

            Members also discussed enforcement for those whose water encroaches upon other properties or people who use chlorine to treat a public water system or tamper with it in any other way.

            Right now, such action is prohibited but there is no enforcement mechanism in place. They deferred those matters to the town’s counsel.

            WSRRC members mentioned that there is no interest charged to those who are more than 30 days late with payments but traditionally receive certified letters and after a certain amount of time, the delinquent customer receives a threat and deadline to pay or have the water shut off.

            WSRRC members debated the timeline of when a shutoff should begin, especially with an appeals process in place. Members talked about what constitutes a hardship for some customers, which included illness, employment issues or a life tragedy. Members also said that no matter what is finalized, the Water and Sewer Commission would make that determination. However, the committee seeks more information from counsel as to reasonable expectations for a payment plan once a customer’s hardship has ended.

            The WSRRC said that the town should offer a payment plan and help the customer delve into options for paying outstanding water and sewer bills. They mentioned that the same rule should apply to commercial customers as well.

            WSRRC members were in agreement that if a homeowner is delinquent on a water or sewer bill and then sells a home, it should not be the burden of the next homeowners. They noted that such an issue would likely have to be finalized by both parties during closing. However, if such a matter is not finalized, the town should continue legal action against the former homeowner and encourage the new one to start a new application for water services.

            WSRRC said that any new occupant of a home should not be charged until the water is turned on and the application is finalized in the new party’s name.

            The seven-member committee is charged with reporting final recommendations to the Select Board by January 6. The Select Board acts as the town’s Water and Sewer Commissioners.        The next meeting of the Marion Water & Sewer Regulations Review Committee was not scheduled at adjournment.

Marion Water & Sewer Regulations Review Committee

By Jeffrey D. Wagner

Bad Omens in Quebec

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            This week in Revolutionary War History, let’s discuss what was going on 250 years ago in and around the colonial Province of Massachusetts Bay. Last week, the army prepared as winter creeps ever closer. The newly created Continental Navy embarked on its first mission, with the Hancock and the Franklin sailing north to the mouth of the Saint Lawrence to disrupt British supplies. Washington and his generals vote against an assault on the fortified Boston, all while the British raze and destroy the town of Falmouth to the north, modern-day Portland, Maine. Militarily, things are heating up, all while temperatures dip and already minuscule supplies run low.

            On October 22, 1775, delegates from across the colonies convene at Washington’s headquarters in Cambridge. “The Deputies from the Honorable Continental Congress, having arrived in this camp; in order to confer with the General, the several Governors, of Rhode Island, & Connecticut, the Council of Massachusetts Bay, and the President and Convention of New Hampshire; on the continuing an army for the defense & support of America, and its liberties.” These men have arrived to go over plans for the campaign and, crucially, see what General Washington and the army needs to survive the winter. Current President of the Continental Congress, Virginian life-long political figure Peyton Randolph, dies following dinner in Philadelphia. The men in Cambridge are unaware of this at the time of their meeting, however.

            Randolph is succeeded, again, by John Hancock. He is seldom spoken of, though he is incredibly important, being the first person elected to president of the free Continental Congress, and again for a second term. Somewhat relevant to us in southeastern Massachusetts, the Town of Randolph, situated just 45 minutes north, is named after him.

            The news of Randolph’s death, as well as the razing of Falmouth (Portland) would reach the camp in Cambridge the following days. Surely a busy meeting with much to discuss at the HQ, Washington writes back to Hancock, again President of the Continental Congress, regarding the British attack at Falmouth. He is maddened by the “barbarity and cruelty” of the attack, which destroyed nearly half the settlement’s buildings just before winter. He informs Hancock, though asked by Falmouth’s Committee of Safety (governing body), that he will be unable to support the town as his gunpowder is running extremely low. He also fears the attack at Falmouth is one of many, saying he “expect(s) every hour to hear that Newport has shared the fate of unhappy Falmouth.” The British attack has successfully struck fear among the colonists, but also outrage.

            On October 25, Washington is raising the price of peas and beans for soldiers in order to curb scarcity. The same day, he receives news from a recent trip to Bermuda commissioned by Nicholas Cooke of Rhode Island. He said upon the inhabitants realizing the ship was from the colonies, treated him (Captain Whipple) with “great cordiality and friendship.” The ship would return with 600 tons of provisions, but the British would punish the island upon hearing of the complicit nature of the heist. He says the British “treated the islanders as rebels” and “reduced them to a disagreeable situation.” Cooke has plans to send Whipple to the island to both support the locals and retrieve more supplies.

            The following day, Washington’s General Orders highlighted a serious issue: service time. Many officers have their last day as December 31. He instructs all men, without delay, state whether they will stay in the army another year in order to gauge his troop amounts before any mass-exodus occurs before the new year. He insists pay will be on time, monthly, and supplies will be regular, though in private he lacks confidence in supplying either.

            On October 26 and October 27, Washington receives separate letters from Major General Philip Schuyler and Colonel Benedict Arnold, still not linked up in Canada. Schuyler writes of good luck, having recently won a small skirmish and secured some supply of powder by General Montgomery. He informs Washington that “heavy rains have carried away almost all the bridges between Fort George and Albany and rendered the roads impassable.” Arnold has fared worse, being in the brunt of this.

            He informs Washington the French locals “seem friendly” and there seems to be few British troops around Quebec. Following the good news, he states he has lost supplies fording near falls and rapids. Many men have fallen sick in the wet and cold, being sent back south. Currently, Arnold has about 70 men with him in various states. He still trudges north in order to surprise the British and resupply at Sartigan. He concludes, “Our march has been attended with an amazing deal of fatigue, which the officers and men have borne with cheerfulness. I have been much deceived in every account of our rout, which is longer, and has been attended with a thousand difficulties I never apprehended, but if crowned with success, and conducive to the public good, I shall think it but trifling.”

This Week in Revolutionary History…

By Sam Bishop

Mattapoisett Republican Town Committee

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The Mattapoisett Republican Town Committee will hold a public meeting on Thursday, November 13 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the Neimad Facility, 57 Fairhaven Road, Mattapoisett. The meeting will address important community concerns. The evening will also feature light refreshments, a cash bar, and open conversation among community members. Please visit Facebook.com/MattapoisettGOP for information on our scheduled monthly speaker.

            “This meeting is about working together to protect our local voice and ensure citizens are represented fairly,” said Paul Criscuolo, Co-Chair of the Mattapoisett Republican Town Committee. “We encourage all residents to join the discussion and learn more about these critical issues.”

            For more information, please contact: Paul Criscuolo, Co-Chairperson Mattapoisett Republican Town Committee Email: PCMattyGOP@ proton.me.

Ward Reynolds “Renny” Maier, M.D.

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Ward Reynolds “Renny” Maier, M.D., 83, of Marion, Massachusetts, died of multiple myeloma on Sunday, October 26, 2025, under hospice care at St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford. He was the loving husband of Christine Walker Maier, with whom he shared 61 years of marriage.

            Born in New Britain, Connecticut, Renny was the son of the late Joseph Ward Maier and the late Elizabeth Reynolds Maier. Renny attended Phillips Academy Andover and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1964. In 1969, Renny received his medical degree from the University of Virginia. He interned in Surgery and Medicine at the Presbyterian Hospital in Philadelphia and completed his residency in Anesthesia at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston. He spent a fellowship year at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Biomedical Engineering. Following his training, he served as a major at Scott Air Force Base for 2 years in southern Illinois under the Berry Plan.

            Renny then spent 42 years living in Belmont, Massachusetts, honing his electrical, building and masonry skills, all the while being a devoted father to his son Robby and daughter Sally. During this time, he was on the Anesthesia staff at the Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge. After 25 years there, he continued practicing at the Massachusetts General Hospital starting in 2001. Renny retired in 2016 to Marion, joyfully continuing his early interests in boating and building.

            In addition to his wife Chrissy, Renny leaves behind his son Robert Coburn Maier and his wife Jennifer of Marion, and his daughter Sarah Maier Friedewald of Boston. He leaves four cherished grandchildren: Owen Hobbs Maier, Charles Travers Maier, Eleanor Wright Friedewald and William Reynolds Friedewald. Burial will be private. A reception in his memory will be held in Marion at Tabor Academy’s Hoyt Hall, 245 Front St. on Saturday November 22nd from 2-4 pm. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Dana Farber Cancer Institute, 10 Brookline Place West, 6th Floor, Brookline, MA 02445 dana-farber.org/gift or to the Southcoast Health Nicole Podkowa Patient & Caregiver Fund, 141 Page Street, New Bedford, MA 02740 in memory of Ward Maier.  Arrangements are with the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd. (Rt. 6), Mattapoisett. For online guestbook, visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

Complex Filings Heard

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            The October 27 meeting of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission found the members plugging away at technical documents and procedures for nearly 3-hours.

            Cases ran the gambit, from your average, Request for Determination of Applicability, to questions around whether or not a new pier would encroach into a shared channel over a mostly underwater property line, to concerns over digging foundations in jurisdictional areas.

            Regarding the pier project filed by Thomas Holt, 39 Mattapoisett Neck Road, for this evening’s meeting, the agenda stated the filing was for the demolition and reconstruction of a single-family dwelling. That, however, was not the main discussion. The main discussion was regarding a proposed extension of an existing pier with associated boat lift.

            Abutters were concerned that if the boat lift as proposed was allowed, precious footage needed to exit and enter the channel would be compromised. Discussion asserting the need to take available space into consideration was debated. Neighbors said a small pier was acceptable but not a boat lift. Holt’s representative David Davignon of Schneider Davignon and Leone confirmed that the pier extension included removal of existing pier structure, work within a salt marsh, the need to comply with standards issued by the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries and other agencies.

            It was further disclosed that the Mattapoisett Harbormaster had voiced his concerns about navigable passage in the channel especially during low tides. After considerable discussion Chairman Mike King allowed Holt to continue the hearing to receive more guidance from the Harbormaster and comments from the MDMF as well as time for the residents impacted by the project to attempt resolution of differences.

            Bill Madden of G.A.F. Engineering presented a Notice of Intent filed by David McIntire, Jr., 0 Nicky’s Lane for the construction of a single-family home off Old Slough Road. Tonight’s hearing centered around the need for culvert repair/replacement. The culvert in question served an intermittent stream. A new planned culvert would consist of a new 48-inch metal pipe with concrete headwalls. The project was conditioned.

            A Notice of Intent filed by the town of Mattapoisett for the repair and reconstruction of a pier was once again not heard. It was noted that the engineer of record, Childs Engineering was a no show.

            A 30-panel solar array planned by Craig Orn of 6 River Road bumped along to acceptance after it was determined that the location of the panels as shown on earlier plans was the only viable location for them to be placed. An alternatives analysis had not been prepared which the commission took exception to. The site had been visited by the commission and its agent. The project received a negative determination.

            A Request for Applicability filed by 8 Dyer Road Nominee Trust for improvements to a driveway, resurfacing of a driveway, scraping, and native plantings, as well as the installation of two geothermal wells was given a negative determination.

            A Notice of Intent filed by Deborah Chapman Living Trust was conditioned after abutters expressed concerns over area flooding and damage to existing foundations. They also expressed displeasure that the plans included FEMA regulated structural height requirements. King stated that wasn’t any “wiggle room,” that the project had to comply with FEMA directives. The project was conditioned.

            A complaint filed against 11 Seamarsh Way for unpermitted activities that included a seawall, plantings, and the need for a Chapter 91 license was represented by landscape contractor Andrew Langlois. Langlois explained that he was new to the project, that boulders and rocks moved within the site in question had taken place before his company was hired. The commission reminded him that permits were needed for planned work and that an after-the-fact filing was now required. The complaint became a mandate that proper permitting be filed by January first.

            A Notice of Intent filed by Colin Labrie, represented by Civil and Environmental Consultants Inc, for property located at 7 Hollywoods Road was continued due to new plans being received only hours before the commission meeting began.

            The updated plan was discussed and now showed areas previously cut without permits would be allowed to regenerate. New plans include a wildflower meadow and native plantings. The new plans as presented were noted as not being in line with work verbally agreed upon when the commission made a site visit. Labrie was told that an impact analysis was needed. Labrie commented that he was trying to give a neighbor a view. The filing was continued.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission is scheduled for Monday, November 10 at 6:30 pm in Town Hall.

Mattapoisett Conservation Commission

By Marilou Newell

What’s Up There?

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Well, it’s certainly getting colder out. The cool air should bring clearer skies, right? There’s another “super moon,” some meteor showers, and some good views of some gas giants.

            On Sunday, November 2, Daylight Savings Time ends, so remember to “fall” back an hour. Also early in the month, Saturn, “father time,” will have great visibility. Catch it south-east, near the moon.

            Speaking of, November 5 sees our second “super moon” of the year. This full moon is called the “Beaver Moon.” This is due to this being an active time for the little mammals as they prepare for winter. It would also be the most popular time to hunt them for their pelts. Thankfully, it’s a less common practice and the mighty Eurasian beaver was saved from near-extinction in the early 20th century. Where was I? Oh, November’s full moon is also referred to as the “Frost Moon,” “Freezing Moon,” or “Mourning Moon.”

            A minor meteor shower, the Taurids Meteor Shower, peaks between November 4 and November 5. The brightness of the super moon will make it difficult, as will the 5-to-10 meteors-per-hour. Look for them in the sky near the constellation Taurus. The meteors are runoff of two separate bodies, asteroid 2004 TG10 and comet 2P Encke.

            Jupiter will have great visibility this month. Look for it in the east just above the horizon in the evening.

            Another shower later in the month, the Leonids Meteor Shower, will have slightly better yields at 15 meteors-per-hour. It also happens to peak on November 17 a few days before the New Moon on November 20. This will allow for darker skies and the ability to see more. The meteors are caused by the tail of the comet Tempel-Tuttle.

            Finally, the Alpha Monocerotids meteor shower peaks on November 21. It has varying meteor rates and is difficult to predict. Typically low, it could have an extremely intense burst lasting around an hour. Emphasis on “could.” The meteors are produced by a currently unknown celestial body and can be seen around the constellation Monoceros.

Astronomy Update for November

By Sam Bishop

BBAHFH Seeking Wheelchair Ramps

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Buzzards Bay Area Habitat for Humanity (BBAHFH) is seeking metal wheelchair ramp donations for their Ramp Donation Program. According to Executive Director Christine Lacourse, “When we first started our Ramp Donation program last year, we were not sure what the need for ramps would be here on the South Coast. Turns out it is huge. There are so many people that need wheelchair ramps but cannot afford them, so they go without and live in unsafe conditions. Our Ramp Donation program is transforming people’s lives who need our help.”

            BBAHFH has installed nineteen ramps to date this year for elderly and disabled individuals. “We have spoken to several people who have not left their home for a year or more because they could not get down their outdoor stairs,” explained Lacourse. “Some could only leave if the police or firefighters could come carry them down the stairs. There were times they missed important meetings or medical appointments because they literally could not leave their home. What a difference a ramp can make for an individual and their family.”

            Ramp recipients have ranged in age from 17 to 95 years old. As one recipient’s daughter enthused after her 72-year-old father got a ramp, “He can now get safely in and out of the house without falling down the stairs or someone having to go over to help him. He has so much more quality of life. He can sit outside on the front bench or the lawn, instead of being stuck inside and getting depressed. We’ve noticed a huge difference in his attitude.” According to the daughter of another ramp recipient, “It is so very helpful to have a ramp, and now we can get our father to dialysis. It has been so beneficial, and we are so very thankful.”

            BBAHFH formally introduced the Ramp Donation program last year giving low-income homeowners the accessibility they need to remain safe in their homes. Ramps are expensive, often needed on short notice, and frequently needed only temporarily. When a family no longer requires the ramp, it is picked up by BBAHFH and then loaned to another low-income family in need. The Ramp Donation program helps those with existing accessibility issues, temporary injuries, or those who are checking out of a rehabilitation facility with hopes of returning home.

            Through ramp donations and purchases, BBAHFH has built an inventory available that can be loaned out and installed by volunteers when needed by a family. BBAHFH is running this program throughout Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Marion, Mattapoisett, New Bedford, Rochester, Wareham, and Westport, and ramps are installed at no cost for families. This project is funded in part by grants from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, and the Executive Office of Aging & Independence and Coastline Elderly Services, the Area Agency on Aging, through Federal Title-III funds.

            BBAHFH is currently looking for ramps to help additional families, as well as low-income applicants in need of a ramp. As a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, ramp donations are tax deductible per the IRS code. In addition to tax deductions, donors benefit from the removal of the unwanted ramp and can feel good about helping another in need.

            For more information on BBAHFH’s Ramp Donation program, contact BuzzardsBayAreaHabitat@yahoo.com, or call 508-758-4517. Tax-deductible donations to support the program may be made at www.BuzzardsBayHabitat.org or by sending a check to BBAHFH, P.O. Box 1584, Mattapoisett, MA 02739.