Rochester Memorial School Committee Vacancy

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The Town of Rochester is accepting letters of interest from residents who wish to be considered for appointment to a vacant seat on the Rochester Memorial School Committee. This appointment will fill the remainder of a term that expires at the Town’s May Annual Election. Submission Deadline is February 6 at 12:00 pm (noon).

            To Apply email a letter of interest to alacerda@townofrochester.com

            A joint meeting of the Select Board and the School Committee will be held to review submissions and vote on the appointment at the Rochester Town Hall on February 24 at 6:00 pm. All interested and qualified residents are encouraged to apply.

Funding Pending for Water Street Culvert

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            The January 12 meeting of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission was a full evening of Notice of Intent filings and Request for Determination of Applicability’s (RDA’s), not the least of which was a filing by the town for repairs needed to the Water Street culvert. The aged culvert suffered a final blow when the interior collapsed causing temporary road closure approximately 18 months ago.

            Town Administrator Mike Lorenco confirmed that design of a new and improved waterway passage from the north to the south side of the village has been underway with the engineering firm Greenman-Pedersen, Inc. Representatives from the firm met with the commissioners to answer any remaining questions they might have prior to issuing an order of conditions for the Notice of Intent previously submitted.

            Several state agencies were involved in reviewing designs offered by Greeman-Pedersen. One such agency was the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act Office. MEPA reviews environmental impacts of development projects and other activities that require one or more agency actions. While a tentative start date for the repair work is September, funding the project has yet to be solidified.

            Lorenco said, “We intend to use grant funding and other sources – we want to keep as much as possible off the taxpayers.” He said the estimated cost hovers around $2,000,000.

            A Notice of Intent filed by 0 Nashawena Road, owned by Deborah Chapman Living Trust was conditioned after lengthy discussion concluded with abutters and others in the neighborhood aired their concerns regarding storm water runoff and associated weather-related flooding.

            Represented by David Davignon of Schneider Davignon and Leone, Davignon explained in detail measures taken in the design to handle rood runoff and the use of swales to assist in the management of storm water. After much discussion the filing was closed, an order of conditions was issued.

            A Notice of Intent filed by NEPO Realty LLC for properties located on Ned’s Point Road were continued allowing time for further drainage study.

            An RDA filed by Dennis Mahoney and Sons for property located at 0 Aucoot Road was continued. The filing is for the clearing for a private driveway onto property that will be used as a nursery. At issue are concerns expressed by the Highway Surveyor Garrett Bauer regarding the use of Bowman Road for heavy truck traffic anticipated resulting in Bowman Road suffering damage.

            Bauer said he would prefer to see Aucoot Road used to access the property in question versus Bowman Road. The filing was continued to the next meeting to give all parties time for further review.

             The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission is scheduled for Monday, January 26.

Mattapoisett Conservation Commission

By Marilou Newell

Thoughts about Green Thumbedness

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            You know you’re really a gardener when:

            – You cancel dates to watch “Gardeners’ World.”

            – You retain plants’ names better than people’s.

            – You’re most comfortable in overalls and Wellies.

            – You hear the elements of nature in Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony.

            – Flattering comments about your garden are like a warm embrace.

            – You delight in the rain.

            – You like the smell of fresh earth and not-so-fresh manure.

            – Your garden precedes your social life in importance.

            – Smith and Hawken’s attire is preferable to Victoria Secret’s.

            – Visits to garden centers stimulate a Pavlovian response.

            – Mud on the kitchen floor doesn’t faze you.

            – Your early “playgrounds” were most likely woodlands, streams and fields.

            – You have a tendency to anthropomorphize plants – that is, give them human qualities.

            – Composting could easily become an obsession.

            – You’re not insulted when your beloved gives you an irrigation system for your birthday.

            – Your idea of a fun date is going to a flower show/tour.

            – Transcendental meditation is an hour in the garden.

            Some or all of the above may describe you. I can vividly recall my earliest preoccupations with nature. The feeling I had in my great-grandmother’s garden “rooms;” my first greenhouse sighting at the Roosevelt Mansion on the Hudson River; a preference for the outdoors, be it climbing trees or pondering the mysteries of the frog pond. Even simple things like noticing the changing vegetation as we headed to the Cape for summer vacation. I can’t remember too much about the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY, but I can still picture the surrounding scenery bathed in the summer sun.

            I have carried this love of the natural world within me never feeling burdened, although sometimes a bit apart from others. Like the time I remarked to fellow co-eds about the beauty of the White Mountains during a ski weekend in North Conway, NH. They had their sights set on other scenery, so I got some queer looks.

            During the early 80s when the world was into computers and electronics, I feigned interest in writing on the subject and used the correct buzz words at trade shows. A subsequent job as a news reporter got me out of tiresome suits and stockings and into earthier subjects. I gravitated toward farmers and 4-H people and away from politicians and police.

            In more recent years, I have devoted myself to gardening and found it a comfort when away from home. I had to wince when an acquaintance remarked that gardening was a temporary interest of new moms that would eventually wane. Oh yeah!!? Come back in 30 years and eat those words.

            So much for an explanation of what constitutes a gardener and how some of us are destined for it. Ever wonder why? Most people will say it’s simply in their genes, but there may be more to it if you believe in the theory of multiple intelligences. The idea that some people are gifted in certain areas was proposed back in 1983 by Harvard University psychologist and educator Howard Gardner, Ph.D. It contends that we all possess distinct and somewhat autonomous intelligences in varying degrees and that each is of equal value. The nine intelligences, which some critics prefer to describe as talents, include linguistic; logical-mathematical; spatial; bodily kinesthetic; musical; interpersonal; intrapersonal; naturalist. and existential.

            Naturalist intelligence is defined as the ability to recognize and classify the numerous species in one’s environment. Those who possess it usually enjoy being outside; like to amass collections; show an instinctual fondness for animals; like to cook or garden; is inquisitive about the names of plants and has a good memory for them; and has an eye for detail, noticing how a newly encountered animal or plant is different from or similar to other such entities. People who seek careers as a biologist, nature illustrator, farmer, chef, gardener, or wild animal trainer are believed to have a strong naturalist intelligence.

            So, the next time you’re out golfing or driving along the highway to some destination – a ball game or a shopping mall or the airport – take note of the landscape in its natural or manmade state. It may bolster your own green giftedness a bit. Even if you are more the kinesthetic type.

            “Every morning was a cheerful invitation to make my life of equal simplicity, and I may say innocence, with Nature herself.” – Henry David Thoreau.

The Seaside Gardener

By Laura McLean

Marion Town Clerk’s Office

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Happy New Year. This will be a busy year as there will be 2 Elections as well as a State Primary.

            The dates are as follows:

            -Marion Town Election: Friday, May 15*

            -State Primary: Tuesday, September 1

            -State Election: Tuesday, November 3

            * Nomination papers will be available for the Marion Town Election beginning Tuesday, February 2. They will be due back on Monday, March 26, by 5:00 pm.

            In order to run for an elected position, you must be a registered voter in the Town of Marion. The potential candidate must secure twenty-eight (28) signatures in order to be placed on the ballot. The Town Clerk recommends that the potential candidate obtain at least thirty-five (35) signatures.

            Any questions, please contact the Town Clerk’s Office at 508-748-3502.

            The open seats are as follows:

            -Board of Assessors (1)

            -Board of Health (1)

            -Select Board (1)

            -Marion School Committee (2)

            -ORR School Committee (1)

            -Open Space Acquisition Commission (1 seat for three-year term)

            -Open Space Acquisition Commission (1 seat for one-year term)

            -Planning Board (3)

            Please return your annual census (street list) and license your dog (cats are not required to be licensed in Massachusetts).

Academic Achievements

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It is with great pleasure that Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) congratulates Andrew Wronski of Rochester, Rebecca Mann of Mattapoisett, and William Gaspar of Mattapoisett on being named to the Fall 2025 President’s List. The fall terms run from September to December.

Multi-Generational Home Secured

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The Rochester Zoning Board of Appeals began the new year with two easily decided approvals. On January 8, the board granted a variance to permit an attached garage over 1,000 square feet on the 4-acre lot at 522 Walnut Plain Road. Applicant and property owner Karl Ferreira said he needs a 2,400-square-foot garage to store and work on his large truck, several farm tractors and excavator. A smaller-sized garage would not fit all the equipment he owns.

Agreeing with this reasoning, ZBA Chair Donald Spirlet said Ferreira has a big piece of property. Thus, the larger size of the garage will not be detrimental to the neighborhood. In fact, the garage would improve the neighborhood because this equipment would no longer be stored outside, he said. Board member Doug Sims noted in the variance language he motioned that the standard-size garage would be a hardship as it would not provide effective storage for what Ferreira owns. The garage that was approved will be a 40×60 foot, steel-frame structure on a concrete slab.

            The Zoning Board of Appeals then approved a Special Permit to allow the construction of a two-family residence at 309 Neck Road. The plan here is to build a new two-story home on 2.65 acres and demolish the single-family home, built in 1971, that sits there now.

            Applicant Jennifer Jones described what is being planned as a tri-level home. The first floor will be for her parents, she said. The second floor will be for her, as their caretaker, and her young daughter. The property has been owned by the family for over 50 years and three generations, she noted. This will keep the home in the family for years to come. She admitted she already has a foundation permit and has built that foundation.

            Abutter Rick Charon endorsed the plan, saying he was speaking as a neighbor of the address for 47 years rather than the project’s engineer. “I am speaking highly in favor of this plan,” he said. Charon noted he has made a similar plan to move his daughter and eight-year-old granddaughter to live with him, and it’s part of popular trend. “It’s what people with families are doing nowadays,” he said.

            Board members echoed this theme, as it voted its approval. “It’s so close to what is permitted now by right,” board member Richard Cutler said. “The intent is a beautiful thing,” Spirlet said. And it’s close to meeting frontage requirements, Spirlet added.

            The Special Permit includes the condition that the current residential structure be demolished within a year after the certificate of occupancy for the new home is issued.

            The Rochester Zoning Board of Appeals did not set a date for its next meeting before adjourning.

Rochester Zoning Board of Appeals

By Michael J. DeCicco

After-school Programs at the MNHM

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The Marion Natural History Museum will host The Great Backyard Bird Count on February 4 from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm. The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is a free, fun, and easy event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of bird populations. Participants are asked to count birds for as little as 15 minutes (or as long as they wish) on one or more days of the four-day event and report their sightings online at birdcount.org. Anyone can take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count, from beginning bird watchers to experts, and you can participate from your backyard, or anywhere in the world.

            With the help of Nasketucket and Brookline Bird Club member Carol Molander we will be learning how to identify some of our more common bird species, taking a walk into the woods to see what we can find and then learning a little more about this important event. Warm hats, gloves and boots are highly recommended for our excursion.

            The next program scheduled is Owl Diet Detective on February 25 from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm. Join us for an exciting exploration into the world of owls and their unique eating habits. Unlike other birds, owls swallow their prey whole because they lack teeth for chewing. Our Owl Pellet Dissection program provides a fascinating insight into these nocturnal predators. Recommended for grades 2-6.

            What you’ll discover: Owl Dining Secrets: Learn how owls consume mice, voles, small birds, and more.

            Pellet Examination: Delve into regurgitated pellets, consisting of bones, teeth, fur, and feathers. Scientific Investigation: By dissecting the pellets, we unveil the diverse diet of owls and the frequency of different prey. Each pellet is dry heat sterilized. Gloves and dissection tools are provided to ensure a safe and hygienic experience.

            Get ready to become a junior ornithologist and uncover the mysteries hidden within owl pellets.

            To register for these programs and others please go to the Marion Natural History Museum’s website: www.marionmuseum.org.

Home Approved, Despite Neighborhood Concerns

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The Marion Zoning Board of Appeals and residents within the Briggs Terrace area had many questions and concerns about an applicant’s bid to subdivide a lot with two structures on the lot.

            In the end, the ZBA on January 8 in the Marion Police Station conference room still approved applicants Dina and William Quinlan’s variance to raze a shed and build a one-story, three-bedroom home in its place.

            The applicants’ engineer noted that state law allows such subdivision plans, but the plans do not conform to a town bylaw dictating a minimum lot requirement. The Planning Board had approved plans, but neighbors had concerns about property values declining with a more clustered look to the area. One neighbor said the proposed additional home would be 30 feet from his property.

            ZBA Chair Cynthia Callow expressed concern that this plan would set a precedent. She and one neighbor said residents could decide to tear down a chicken coup and build a home in its place. Applicant representatives said that not building the home could represent a financial hardship for the residents, who would have more flexibility with building a second home that they could sell.

            Both the applicants and board member Robert Grillo said that if the applicant chose to make this home an accessory dwelling unit (ADU), there would be no need for a variance from the ZBA. “In this case, they are asking for a variance even though there is no dwelling there. They would like to put a dwelling there. There is not much of a difference than having a house there and rebuilding it,” Grillo said.

            An ADU, however, would tie both homes together and the applicants could not have the same financial flexibility.

            Some neighbors questioned if the second home would strain the sewer line, but the applicant and Grillo said that both homes would be connected to the same line.

            The applicants also stressed that the home would not conflict with the overall appearance of the neighborhood.

            Citing that and the possible financial hardship, the ZBA on a unanimous 4-0 vote approved the variance for the project to move forward.

            The next meeting of the Marion Zoning Board of Appeals is scheduled for Thursday, January 22.

Marion Zoning Board of Appeals

By Jeffrey D. Wagner

Marion Town House Mural Contest

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            Renovation work on the Marion Town House is coming along as scheduled, with most construction set to be finished during the summer, and the Town House reopened sometime in August.

            At the January 6 Select Board meeting, Town Administrator Geoffrey Gorman gave an update on the status of the Town House. The current renovations were approved of by Marion residents at the Spring Town Meeting in May 2025, with work beginning in September and local government offices and functions moving to the Town House Annex at 14 Barnabas Road. The building will become Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant, something long discussed within the town. Also in ADA compliance, there is to be a lift installed similar to the one in the new Maritime Center. The addition of fire-suppression and HVAC systems was also approved. Internal framing is largely completed, with Gorman telling The Wanderer, “We continue to move along the timeline with progress.”

            The Town Administrator, at the same Select Board meeting, presented an idea to town officials and the public: a mural in the Town House. As he was giving his presentation on the status of construction on building that celebrates its 150th birthday this year, Gorman stated all work was on schedule and the build would be finished by the end of summer. He then put forth an idea, now finalized, that was approved by the board at that meeting.

            The town is inviting local artists to submit mural concepts that will later be installed on an interior wall within the Town House. The town is open to submissions starting next week, on Monday, January 19 with the contest open until April 2 by town office closure, 4:30 pm. The town’s announcement states, “The mural will serve as a lasting symbol of community pride and creativity in the heart of Marion’s civic center.”

            There are some stipulations with the allowed mural submissions: It is open to Marion residents aged 18 and older (individuals or teams), each artist may submit one original design concept, and designs must be appropriate for all audiences and must not contain political, commercial, or offensive content.

            Starting Monday, artists should submit a digital rendering and concept statement with discussion on theme via email to the Town Administrator Geoffrey Gorman at: ggorman@marionma.gov.

            Following the closure of the submission process, the Select Board will then review submissions and select finalists to be voted upon by town residents. In May, a community survey will take place to determine the winner. The timeline for the Town House Mural Contest, as presented by the town, is as follows:

            Contest Launch: Monday, January 19

            Submission Deadline: Thursday, April 2 by 4:30 pm

            Select Board Review: April (Date to be announced)

            Community Survey & Final Selection: May (Date to be announced)

            Mural Installation Period: August (Date to be announced)

By Sam Bishop

Bulldogs Earn Big Road Win

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Old Rochester’s boys basketball team played at Greater New Bedford Voc-Tech (6-2) on January 9 and won, 66-58. Henry Berry was named the player of the game, scoring 18 points. Noah Thorell added 13 points and 5 rebounds, while Brody Hiles scored 10 points, had 5 assists, and had 4 steals. The Bulldogs were up 53-41 at the end of the third quarter, but GNB Voc-Tech kept fighting in the fourth quarter to cut the lead to 4 points. Old Rochester ended up closing it out, improving their record to 6-3. The Bulldogs will host Bourne (1-5) on Friday, January 16.

Sports Roundup

By Aiden Comorosky