Holy Ghost Committee Begins Review

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            On April 3, the Mattapoisett Planning Board heard from member Nathan Ketchel regarding the establishment and first meeting of the Holy Ghost Grounds Committee, a committee charged with exploring use options for the publicly held acreage off Park Street, formally known as the Holy Ghost Grounds.

            Ketchel is the Planning Board’s representative on the committee, which is currently five members, but Ketchel said two spots remain open. Interested parties should contact the Select Board office. The committee includes representatives from the Recreation and Highway departments, other town boards and members of the public.

            Town Administrator Mike Lorenco gave a brief history and current state of the site at the committee’s initial meeting, which then focused on what might be developed on the parcel. Such possibilities include a dog park, community garden and rental building, which is currently being updated for family parties, such as weddings and showers.

            Ketchel said he’ll draw up a conceptual plan of what might be possible at the site to aid the committee in selecting plans to share with the public for comment. Regarding the dog park, he said that committee members wondered aloud how enforcement of rules would be handled, including the need for all pets to be vaccinated, obey park rules and that waste be removed.

            The public land has also been noted in conceptual plans for the bike path Phase 2a. Ketchel reported that new bathrooms have been installed, and work continues on other updates, making it a viable rest stop for cyclists and others.

            Ketchel also told the board members that the now-complete 2024 Master Plan has not been reviewed by the Select Board, nor by Town Counsel. Ketchel anticipates that work is being conducted before Town Meeting 2024, thus he said it will not appear in the May 2023 Town Meeting Warrant.

            In other matters, a Form A, Approval Not Required, was approved for Lots 70 and 65 on Oakland and Foster streets.

            Before adjourning, Planning Board Chairman Tom Tucker thanked retiring member Arlene Fidalgo for her years of service on the board.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board is scheduled for Monday, May 1, at 7:00 pm.

Mattapoisett Planning Board

By Marilou Newell

Sippican Pomona Grange #31 Celebrates 100 Years

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Sippican Pomona Grange #31 was organized in 1923 by State Grange Deputy Reid Dana Macafee, a Past President of Marion Grange. Last Saturday, over 50 people came together to celebrate the occasion at the Rochester Grange Hall. A delicious baked chicken dinner at 1:00 pm began the festivities. Afterwards, the gathering moved to the main hall where Pomona President Susan LaFleur had Betsy Huber National Grange President escorted to a seat at her right. Also escorted to her right was State Grange President Glenn Gibson and his wife Kathy who is Lady Assistant Steward of the National Grange. The Bible was opened on the Altar followed by the presentation of the Flag and a candle lighting ceremony.

             Joshua Cunha, President of Acushnet Grange, acted as emcee for the afternoon. He recognized the many State dignitaries in the hall which included four Past Presidents of the State Grange. Guests came from all over the State as well as Pennsylvania.

             Sippican is a regional Grange comprised of six Granges – Acushnet #285, East Freetown #307, Dartmouth Grange #162, Rochester Grange #257, So. Middleboro Grange #337 and Westport Grange #181. A history of each of the Granges was read with State President Glenn Gibson giving a history of Sippican’s 100 years. The names of all past Presidents were read by George Thomas, a past State Grange President and member of Sippican’s Executive Committee. Past Pomona President Elizabeth Gonneville read the names of the past lecturers. National President Betsy Huber congratulated Sippican on its 100 years and spoke briefly on Grange. She was followed by a musical program by Tom & Sheila Perry from Wareham. State Grange President Glenn Gibson, our guest speaker, spoke on the Grange organization and how the organization has endured through the years, while noting its many accomplishments.

            A citation received from the Massachusetts General Court was read by Christopher Szkutak, State Grange Legislative Director. The Resolution was signed by Speaker of the House Roland Mariano, House Clerk Steven T. James, Senate President Karen S. Spilka and Michael D. Hurley, Clerk of the Senate. Also signing the Resolution were its sponsors, Representative William M. Straus and Senator Michael J. Rodriques.

            The program concluded with a presentation of gifts to our honored guests, refreshments and conversation with our Grange friends.

Discover Vernal Pools with the MLT

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Vernal pools are a vital breeding habitat for resident amphibians and invertebrates such as wood frogs, spotted and blue-spotted salamanders and fairy shrimp. The Mattapoisett Land Trust is once again offering an introduction to vernal pools, this year through a field trip into the Woodcock Preserve.

            On Saturday, April 15 at 1:00 pm., we’ll meet at the Tinkhamtown Woodlands parking area on Long Plain Road. We´ll then proceed a short distance on the MLT Woodcock trail to the vernal pool. Together we will have fun learning about vernal pools and exploring a beautiful one.

            The exploration is free and open to all, including residents of other towns. Please wear appropriate clothing, including rubber boots. The exploration will take place rain or shine. See MLT’s online event calendar to RSVP and follow on social media for more information and updates.  

Mattapoisett Republican Party Monthly Town Meeting

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            The Mattapoisett Republican Party invites everyone interested to join us on Tuesday, April 11 from 6:30 pm to 7:45 pm at the Mattapoisett Free Public Library, 7 Barstow Street.

Topics for discussion are: 1) The upcoming town elections, 2) Planning our May 3 Event, 3) Other local meetings that are of interest to everyone.

            If interested, please attend or contact by email: ChairMattGOP@Gmail.com.

Member’s Application Gets Negative Determination

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            Rochester’s Conservation Commission started its Tuesday night meeting by signing off on a project by one of its own.

            The board endorsed panel member William Clapp’s plan to build a four-bedroom, single-family home with paved driveway and septic system on a 2.5-acre lot at 0 Clapp Road by voting a Negative Determination on his Request for Determination of Applicability (RDA) application. In other words, the board decided the proposal would not result in any wetlands impact.

            The presentation from Clapp’s spokesperson Matthew Leone was quick and straightforward. Bordering vegetative wetlands are to the north and east. The house will be located as much in the southwest corner as possible. Some brush and trees will be cleared but with erosion controls installed.

            Leone explained the RDA was necessary because the well is being located close to the resource area. Conservation Agent Merilee Kelly reported the land is almost totally flat, implying her endorsement of the project.

            Clapp recused himself from the discussion, as the board’s voting members unanimously approved the Negative Determination.

            The commission’s next action was to resume fines against Doug Rose, the owner of property at 89 Box Turtle, as the dispute over his clearing land too close to wetlands without a permit continues unresolved nearly one year after the problem started.

            Commission Chairman Christopher Gerrior reported speaking to Town Counsel on the issue. He learned that Rose’s attorney has been playing telephone tag with Rochester’s new legal team. By Tuesday, the only word Town Counsel had received from Rose’s counsel has been that the repair plan will be ready “shortly.”

            “Our counsel said he’s dealt with this lawyer before,” Gerrior said. “He’s given me the idea that we should be starting up the fines again.”

            Board member Ben Bailey quickly motioned to do just that, and the panel unanimously agreed.

            “Every resident spends money to do this process the right way,” Clapp said after the vote. “This guy is making a mockery of that.”

            Meanwhile, Gerrior said, the town will continue to spend money on this drawn-out process until it is resolved.

            The next question became where the fine levels should start. Should they start at a lower level or continue on a higher level? The commission requested Kelly to consult with Town Counsel.

            The board agreed a year ago to begin delivering “non-criminal enforcement tickets,” fining the property owner on a climbing scale of $50, then $100, then $300 per day in July of 2022.

            The next two votes altered the Conservation Commission’s own practices going forward. The board approved moving its meetings back to Town Hall and to begin each meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag.

            Gerrior asked the board’s preference on reciting the Pledge in response to a town resident’s request that all town boards start their meetings with the salute to the American flag. The panel, with no discussion, unanimously approved the new practice.

            Gerrior then said he prefers the current meeting place, the Old Colony Regional Vocational-Technical High School library but wanted the board members’ opinions. The panel also unanimously approved the change to Town Hall.

            The Rochester Conservation Commission will next meet on Tuesday, April 18, at 7:00 pm at Town Hall, 1 Constitution Way.

Rochester Conservation Commission

By Michael J. DeCicco

The Marsupial Opossum

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            The Opossum is the only marsupial species on the North American continent where the young are born prematurely and subsequently brought to life in their mother’s pouch. She proceeds to wean them until they are old enough to be on their own. The Opossum is also the only mammal with a prehensile tail that can be used for grasping things like a human hand. Young Opossums sometimes hang by their tails, but when they are grown up, they are too heavy for hanging.

            As in my illustration, the Opossum is the only mammal that has four fingers that are opposable on each of the hind feet that works like a human thumb to make it possible to pick up things like hands much better than other animals. The Opossum grows up to be as big as a full-grown cat that resembles a silver-colored rat with its naked ears and silver-colored fur coat. Their faces are almost pure white with four whiskers and a pink nose. The eyes look like two black shoe buttons.

            The average adult grows to be about 24 to 26 inches long, including the tail, and usually weighs 6 to 12 pounds. It is usually a passive animal but can look ferocious when it displays all 50 teeth, while drooling and hissing at any person near it. They are also normally nocturnal by habit but can be comfortable in daylight when searching for food. Their ideal habitat for feeding is either woodland or farmland or even suburban neighborhoods with water nearby.

            Their diet is omnivorous in the country or city by eating whatever they can catch including rats, mice, moles, slugs, snails, shrews, worms, beetles, ants, grasshoppers, crickets, frogs, garbage, fruit, corn, berries and even anything that looks like roadkill bodies.  Their own roadkill during the darkness adds up to thousands of casualty deaths per year in even a small neighborhood. Any Opossum, when it sees roadkill during the night, tends to freeze in the headlights of an automobile.

            Perhaps the most intriguing weakness is the sudden ability to play dead when they feel they are in danger. They quickly sink to the ground while their eyes gloss over, baring their teeth and lolling their tongue out of their mouth to one side. They rarely cause problems for people but often frighten almost anyone by appearing suddenly dead. They are more beneficial as scavengers than for any damage they might possibly do. A neighborhood with Opossums tends to be peaceful and safer than one without them.

By George B. Emmons

From the Files of the Rochester Historical Society

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            For approximately 150 years, the Mattapoisett section of Rochester had eight or nine boatyards. With this many yards, we would assume that vessels were always built near the ocean, but some came to life in some strange places. One sloop was built in a yard near a home and launched into a creek at Godspeed’s Island. Another schooner was built near Cushing Cemetery and had to be taken to the shore to be launched by Barstow’s Wharf. During this time of active building, it is estimated that between 400-500 vessels were built. At least 275 workmen were employed.

            This brings us to the last ship built in 1878, the Wanderer. The Wanderer was 116 ft. in length and weighed in at 300 ton with a 27 ft. beam length, and it drew 15 ft. below sea level. It was the last whaling vessel to sail out of New Bedford Harbor.

            The Wanderer was a veteran ship that like most whalers was a 3 masted bark with a crew of about 30 men, many from towns such as Rochester. Like all whalers, it was a “factory ship” that processed oil on sight from captured whales. The Wanderer had a “case” or reservoir in the hold for the retrieved oil and large storage casks.

            In her early days, the ship spent summers off the coast of Africa where there were plenty of whales: right sperm and humpback. At various intervals, they would put into a port. about every six months. They put into St. Helena where they would meet the Lottie Beard, a supply ship, from New Bedford, and they would get mail and packages from home. Winter whaling sometimes took place in the lower latitudes near Cape Horn. The weather there was most often cold, foggy and stormy and whales were scarce.

            The type of whale captured made a difference in the success of a voyage. Humpback whales were swift movers and took more than one boat on a “Nantucket sleigh ride.” They would also sink when they died, and sailors would have to tie them off on their boats and wait for the next day when they would float to the surface. The oil of the humpback was worth half of the oil from a sperm whale.

            The Wanderer was known as a lucky ship with few serious accidents or fatalities. She was also a successful vessel. In her first four- year voyage, she returned home with 2,600 barrels of oil. In 1917, she brought in 6,200 barrels, possibly a record in whaling history.

            A small newspaper clipping in our files from The Star of November 27, 1909, reports that the whaling bark, Wanderer, was brought to Fairhaven to be hauled out on the city railway. “She had been started when a link in the big chain which hauls the carriage parted.” The Wanderer slid into the river and was towed back to New Bedford.

            The Wanderer plied the ocean from June 4, 1878 until Aug. 26, 1924, when she suffered an untimely fate. Readying for her final voyage, she was moored off Cuttyhunk when a hurricane dashed her on the rocks and the “wind and sea tore her apart”.

By Connie Eshbach

Rabies Clinic

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A rabies clinic for cats and dogs will be held on Sunday, April 23 from 10 am until 12 noon at the old Mattapoisett Fire Station which is located at 26 County Road. The fee for the vaccination is $15. Cats must be in carriers and dogs must be leashed. Dog licensing for Mattapoisett residents will be offered. License fees are $12 for intact animals and $9 for those that have been altered. Payment by cash or check only will be accepted. This clinic is open to all regardless of residency. Please bring proof of prior rabies vaccination if a 3-year shot is desired.

Bluegrass Band at the Mattapoisett Museum

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Mark your calendars, music lovers. On Saturday, April 29, the Mattapoisett Museum is hosting an epic event that you wouldn’t want to miss. Come and join Four Bridges, a New England-based Bluegrass band, as they perform live at the museum.

            Let us introduce you to the talented band members:

            Jeremy Place is a music educator, plays mandolin, guitar and banjo and sings. He writes songs and bakes bread at night after tucking his kids in for bed.

            Benjamin Marshall, who plays banjo, guitar, mandolin, fiddle, bass and sings, grew up listening to Flatt & Scruggs, and his love for bluegrass shows in his performances.

            Greg Ferreira, a classically trained pianist, is also a skilled mandolin, guitar, banjo, harmonica, fiddle, bass player and singer. Bill Monroe & the Stanleys inspired him to play bluegrass.

            Lastly, we have Nelson Hiller, a talented songwriter from Mattapoisett, who plays bass, mandolin and guitar and sings. He’s known for his infectious energy that gets everyone in the mood for some bluegrass fun.

            This is an event for everyone, so bring your family and friends. As Nelson Hiller says, “We’ll have you dancing, crying, hootin’ and hollerin’.” Four Bridges is a well-seasoned band that loves to perform, and their passion shines through in their music. Doors open at 7 pm, and the show starts at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $15 for general admission. Patron and Sustainer level Mattapoisett Museum members get 10% off two tickets for this event.

            For more information, please visit the museum’s website, www.mattapoisettmuseum.org/events to learn more and to purchase tickets. Get your tickets now, and let’s have a night full of bluegrass music. Contact info@mattapoisettmuseum.org with any questions.

Affordable-Housing Debate Intensifies

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            There is fundamental disagreement among the members of the Marion Planning Board on the merits of town’s Inclusionary Housing Zoning Bylaw (230-8.12), and the airing of those views extended Monday night’s public meeting at the Police Station to nearly two and a half hours.

            More than half the meeting had already been dedicated to the Public Hearing for the Zoning bylaw changes that will ultimately appear on the 2023 Annual Town Meeting Warrant, pursuant to Massachusetts General Law Chapter 40A, Section 5 and the town’s General Bylaws.

            Though the Public Hearing was a necessarily tedious exercise involving meticulous attention padded by time for community input, the subsequent discussion on the existing Inclusionary Housing Zoning Bylaw focused an intense debate on one subject.

            Planning Board member Jon Henry had introduced the subject for a relatively brief discussion on March 20, and Chairman Norm Hills saw fit to put the item on the April 3 agenda. At the last meeting, Hills sat back and heard each member’s take on the controversial bylaw, giving his viewpoint at the end. On Monday night, he went first.

            Handing out a page-plus of prepared comments, Hills read his synopsis of the bylaw, summarizing its background, pertinent issues and finally, his conclusions.

            Citing the fact the town has only “conditionally” exceeded the state’s 10% Subsidized Housing Inventory requirement (via Ken Steen’s 120-unit, rental project to be built off Route 6) and what he sees as a continuing need for affordable housing, Hills strongly recommended Marion keeping the Inclusionary Housing Zoning Bylaw in place.

            The Marion bylaw approved by voters in 2003 requires any residential project of six or more units to include specified, subsidized-housing units to achieve compliance with Massachusetts General Law 40B.

            “We need to take care of the elderly who have been the backbone of this town. … Anything else is just segregating the economic pattern in the town,” said Planning Board member Eileen Marum, citing an underlying ideological issue.

            Marum asserted that the affordable-housing problem stems from public policies that discriminate against minorities, women and single parents. She cited Residence C and D zoning allowing one house on 2 acres of land. “Marion right now is in violation of this law. It has exclusionary zoning,” she said.

            Marum figures that 10 houses or town houses or condominiums would go a long way toward addressing the housing shortage. She cited recent words from Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll stating that Massachusetts needs 200,000 family units. “It needs to be focused on affordable housing because these people have been segregated,” said Marum.

            Citing support for senior citizens in town, board member Alanna Nelson strongly threw her support behind an ongoing drive to build more rather than less affordable housing in Marion.

            Nelson supported Hills’ contention that the Inclusionary Housing Zoning Bylaw remain in place and repeatedly suggested that the town’s think tank go to work beyond the bylaw debate on new ideas to create housing solutions.

            On the opposite side of the argument were Henry and fellow board member Andrew Daniel, who supported local developer Sherman Briggs’ long-held assertion that the Inclusionary Housing Zoning Bylaw de-incentivizes the construction of market-rate housing that they insist is vital to the town’s future because it generates more tax revenue.

            “There are other ways to do this,” said Daniel, who suggested zoning changes that would allow higher density of single-family homes. The debate got heated, as Marum challenged Daniel to provide an alternative scheme in writing.

            Developers, Henry and Daniel insisted, find the bylaw too punitive to their business and cited the absence of a single, market-rate housing project over the 20-year life of the bylaw as proof. In their estimation, the giant rental project being built near the Wareham town line will not yield the necessary tax revenue to help Marion solve the economic challenges presented by infrastructural deterioration.

            Hills argued against this point, saying that while the state Department of Housing and Community Development counts all the units in a (partially) subsidized project as affordable housing, “Any unit at market rate gets taxed at market rate, not anything less.”

            Board member Chris Collings said that the 10% affordable-housing threshold means nothing if the town does not “sunset” it upon achieving 10%. “If that doesn’t have any meaning, then we’re just moving the goalposts,” he said. “How do we incentive developers to do other projects is another affair.”

            Hills argued that since Steen has yet to pull a building permit in association with the 120-unit, low-income, rental project, Marion could, after a year has passed since the 2022 approval of his project, fall back under the 10% affordable-housing threshold and forfeit its right to reject a future 40B housing application.

            Collings also sought to put a number to “market rate” housing, asserting that young families cannot afford to buy such homes in Marion.

            Member Tucker Burr agreed.

            “Whatever house you buy in Marion, you’re going to be able to buy twice the house in Wareham,” said Burr, who went further outside the box and told the membership he suspects the majority of Marion’s residents don’t want to see any more housing, period.

            Hills considered that scenario unrealistic.

            Seeking more definitive terms, Burr also took issue with language that says the town “might” apply the bylaw.

            When the floor was opened to public comment, Briggs argued for elimination of the bylaw, thereby incentivizing developers to build market-rate housing that theoretically would add more tax revenue to Marion’s coffers.

            If, with an updated census, Marion were to land at 12% affordable housing, Briggs told Hills he calculated it would take the addition of 680 more market-rate housing units in order for increased population to push the town back under 10% in affordable housing.

            Open Space Acquisition Commission Chairman John Rockwell, attending via Zoom, explained that he was on the Planning Board in 2003 when the Inclusionary Housing Zoning Bylaw was brought to Town Meeting. Rockwell suggested that eliminating the bylaw would increase the burden on taxpayers.

Citing the impasse at 9:25 pm, Nelson, who was attending the meeting via Zoom, moved that the rest of the agenda be canceled and that the meeting be adjourned. All agreed.

            The Public Hearing for the Zoning Bylaw changes for the 2023 Annual Town Meeting Warrant that preceded the affordable-housing discussion tackled a variety of subjects, the articles for which needed further editing per board and public comment and in some cases, were altogether scrapped.

            An article that would have stipulated that citizens’ petitions for Annual or Special Town Meeting must be delivered to the Select Board office no later than 60 days prior to said meeting was considered excessive by Daniel, Burr and also by Select Board Chairman Randy Parker, who considered it basically unfair.

            Burr suggested citizens should be afforded equal access via the timeline as elected officials and said he would leave it at 14 days. Parker says the article would take away the rights of the taxpayers. Daniel said a citizens’ petition should be able to come in any time prior to the closing of the warrant.

            Another article approving the addition of accessory apartments above businesses of 5,000 square feet or less was debated by Rockwell, who considers the space to be “twice the size of most people’s houses” and could cause the Planning Board to “lose the ability to turn down something that doesn’t work for the town.”

            Rockwell also suggested interviewing the business community for feedback on an article that would use 5,000 square feet as a point of demarcation to sidestep the Planning Board and allow smaller businesses less bureaucracy.

            Hills said that Building Commissioner Bob Grillo has been extremely helpful in pointing out conflicts in potential warrant articles.

            The next meeting of the Marion Planning Board is scheduled for Tuesday, April 18, at 7:00 pm.

Marion Planning Board

By Mick Colageo