Dorothea A. Harris

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Dorothea A. Harris, 93, of Marion passed away at home on August 3, 2021. Mrs. Harris was the wife of the late Robert E. Harris and daughter of the late Edward E. and Marjorie E. (Rose) Reed, Jr.

            Dorothea was born at home in Whitman, MA and attended Whitman Public Schools. She was a Girl Scout Trainer and Leader and Band Parent. She worked for many years as a Switchboard Operator for New England Telephone and Telegraph and later as a Clerk for Peaceful Meadows Creamery. She was also a former volunteer and Docent for the Sippican Historical Society for 20 years.

            A seven time Mayflower descendant, a Fortune descendant, 2nd boat on which Philip Delano arrived on and a ninth generation direct descendant of John Ellis, who’s family drew a home lot at Sippican for his service and death during the King Philip’s War.

            Dorothea is survived by her devoted daughter Ann M. Harris of Marion, her sister JoAnn Reed of East Bridgewater and many loving nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. She was the sister of the late Barbara Goulet, Ruth W. Eastman, Marjorie A. Duguette and Edward E. Reed III. Ann especially is grateful and thankful to the staff and administration of MasterPeace Home Care and Beacon Hospice for the amazing and wonderful caregivers.

            A private graveside service was held in Old Landing Cemetery. To leave a message of condolence please visit www.warehamvillagefuneralhome.com A celebration of her life will be held at a later date. Memorial gifts may be made to the Sippican Historical Society, 141 Front Street, Box 541, Marion, MA 02738, 508-748-1116, info@sippicanhistoricalsociety.org Arrangements by Wareham Village Funeral Home 5 Center Street Wareham, MA 02571

Long-Tailed Weasel Lives Dangerously

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            The long-tailed weasel species is classified as the least weasel because it is the smallest member of other elongated fury animals, about the size of a domestic ferret, and, turning from brown to white in winter, it becomes an ermine to decorate the collars of ladies’ coats.

            As illustrated in my drawing, they have elongated tubular bodies with flattened ears and heads. They have a reputation as bold, aggressive predators able to chase rodents down rat holes and flush them out to be caught on the other side. They generally hunt alone to also catch mice, voles, frogs, rabbits, and birds.

            Because they need to accumulate large amounts of fat to feed their extensive activity of energy, they are best known for raiding hen houses to total destruction, often killing everything in sight.

            The female weasel, with three kits shown, is totally responsible for their upbringing, including a delayed implantation after breeding in early spring by stopping development of the eggs in her reproductive system for several months so they can be born into the warm season of summer to facilitate their growth and development.

            Weasels and their families are found wherever their prey is abundant, in young brushy forests, shrub country, edges of wetlands, and in rock and wood piles. Although they themselves are highly effective predators, they are not anywhere near the top of the food chain. They are hunted by bobcats, foxes, hawks, and owls.

            The weasel is just one member of a much larger family of a similar but larger group of ornery predators that includes the nasty-minded mink, the mean-tempered fisher, and the raging, destructive wolverine. However, the weasel, despite playing a key role in a dangerous habitat of survival of the fittest, has a much more humorous character identity when portrayed in ancient stories and fables of the creation of the animal world. At the children’s section of the Mattapoisett Library, the weasel is a prominent participant in songs that are sung to musical instruments, such as the piano.

            Among traditional country classics of children’s books are “Home on the Range,” “Over the Hills and Far Away,” and “She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain.” To conclude my metaphor of comparison, the most memorable youthful tune titled “Pop Goes the Weasel” is a much more colorful finish to end my animation of this long-tailed wildlife image.

By George B. Emmons

Two New Members, Still No Quorum

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The Rochester Conservation Commission meeting was over before it began on August 3 because the commission was unable to conduct any business due to a lack of a quorum.

            Although the commission had two brand new members in attendance – both appointed by the Board of Selectmen the night before – neither of them had been sworn in yet by the town clerk.

            One of the new members, Bendrix Bailey, was listed on the agenda for a Notice of Intent for 0 Gerrish Road. Bailey is also a member of the Rochester Planning Board.

            All of the public hearings listed on the agenda remained unopened and will be addressed at the commission’s next meeting on August 17.

            Those include: Bendrix Bailey, 0 Gerrish Road, Notice of Intent; a request for a Certificate of Compliance filed by Rochester, MA 2, LLC, 268 Mattapoisett Road, for a ground-mounted solar array; the Notice of Intent filed by A.D. Makepeace, 0 County Road, located at the Morse Swamp Reservoir, in response to an Enforcement Order issued in December to restore and replicate wetlands; and a

NOI filed by Carl and Jennifer Achorn, 150 Snipatuit Road, to build a single-family home.

            The next meeting of the Rochester Conservation Commission will be held on Tuesday, August 17, at 7:00 pm via Zoom.

Rochester Conservation Commission

By Jean Perry

Marion Receiving Mask Message

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            In responding to Marion Public Health Nurse Lori Desmarais’ confirmation of widespread suspicion that COVID-19 cases are increasing, Marion Board of Health Chair Dr. Ed Hoffer was somewhat pleased to notice more people wearing masks than a couple of weeks ago.

            “COVID hospitalizations are going up statewide; nothing like last winter, but well over double that of a month ago, and it’s not just asymptomatic cases,” he said during the board’s brief August 3 Zoom meeting.

            In her report to the board, Desmarais said that Marion has gone from no active cases in June to 13 in July, and two so far in August. There are eight active cases, all of them in people under age 60.

            The Department of Public Health report showed two cases come back as the Delta variant and two others as another lineage of the coronavirus.

            Marion’s vaccination rates are considered high; 83 percent of the town’s population has had at least one dose, while 75 percent of residents are fully vaccinated.

            Altogether, Marion has seen 435 COVID-19 cases.

            So far, Marion has not had a case of West Nile or EEE virus, according to Desmarais. There have been 24 West Nile positives, but none in Plymouth County.

            Tick-borne illnesses are another matter, as there has been an increase over last year at the same time. There have been nine cases of anaplasmosis over five at this time last year; Lyme is the exception, as 16 cases in 2021 are slightly fewer than the 18 known at this time last year.

            Desmarais sent letters out to five establishments holding permits to sell tobacco products reminding them that those products are not allowed to carry flavors. She told the board that permit holders said they were not aware of the new regulations and would be reaching out to the manufacturers.

            The first offense results in a $1,000 fine, the second offense $2,000, and the third offense $5,000.

            Having approved regulations for body-art establishments, the Board of Health voted to approve two body-art business applications.

            The next meeting of the Marion Board of Health was not set at adjournment.

Marion Board of Health

By Mick Colageo

How Trees Communicate

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Join the Marion Natural History Museum on Friday, August 20, at the Marion Music Hall from 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm for “How Trees Communicate – Exploring the underground network of trees” with Valentina Lagomarsino, PhD student, Biological Biomedical Sciences program at Harvard University.

            Trees are considered to be the oldest living organisms on the planet. Over centuries, they have been resilient to changes in their environment due to their symbiotic relationship to fungi and other microbes.

            When scientists first studied the structure of nerve cells that comprise the human brain, they noted their strong resemblance to trees. In fact, dendrites, the term to describe projections from a nerve cell, comes from the Greek word Dendron, for “tree.”

            The comparison may have been more apt than originally realized. Ccientists are starting to uncover that trees have their own sort of nervous system that is capable of facilitating tree communication, memory, and learning.

            Let’s discuss how trees communicate and the invisible microbes that keep our ecosystems in harmony. Donation: $8 members, $10 non-members. Registration in advance is recommended. To register, please go to the museum’s website at www.marionmuseum.org.

MRC Recommends Updated Aquaculture Regs

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            The Marion Marine Resources Commission met on August 2 to review the final draft of its updated aquaculture regulations for recommendation to the Select Board, but not without some debate over whether to make a tweak for clarification’s sake.

            That tweak, proposed to delineate between existing aquaculture grant holders and new grant holders where it concerns applying for a license to an abandoned site, will not be part of what the Select Board will likely review at its August 16 meeting.

            Shellfish Officer Adam Murphy told the MRC that the Select Board will decide what level of grandfathering it will do.

            “The regulations today are for new aquaculturists, not for existing aquaculturists; you’re reading it as the new grant holder,” he said. “But somebody who had a grant previously, we’re still going to give them an opportunity to grow their business. … If something becomes available, they already have one license, so we’re not going to issue two.”

            When MRC Chairman Vin Malkoski suggested adding a line to clarify that “this applies to new grant holders,” Murphy balked on any further edits.

            “Any substantial changes, we’re going to have to table this ’til the fall,” he said. “I don’t have time over the month of August … if the [commission] wants to do it, that’s absolutely fine with me.”

            Harbormaster Isaac Perry attempted to clarify Murphy’s point. “We’re only talking about, if a space becomes available … I think that’s what Adam was referring to; anyone applying new as opposed to an existing would be treated differently as the bulk of the regulations go.”

            What Malkoski introduced in the discussion as “clean copy” was admittedly imperfect according to discoveries pointed out by Vice Chairman Toby Burr while reviewing the document. No one debated Burr’s points, only the question as to the value of continuing the editing process.

            MRC member Peter Borsari believes that the priority needs to be on getting the regulations into the hands of the Select Board since its members, with legal counsel’s advice, will make their own revisions. “Let’s get our job done,” said Borsari, identifying the document as viable and acknowledging the Select Board’s authority. “But let’s finish the doggone job [or] we’ll never get out of here.”

            Member Joe Guard agreed, but others, including Malkoski, believed that the one clarification was worth making, at least until a further complication with the suggested edit was realized.

            The commission voted 5-2 to recommend the new regulations with Malkoski’s proposed addition, which was later rescinded. In the interest of achieving a consensus, he asked Burr and Scott Cowell, the two members who cast dissenting votes, to discuss their objections.

            Reiterating his interest in pushing forward the regulations despite his own ‘nay’ vote, Burr’s objection was of a big-picture nature.

            “I believe that these regulations came about because of Shea Doonan,” he said, identifying the former license holder who in 2020 was determined to be in violation of existing regulations, and his site was shut down as a result. “We’re not punishing the bad guy, we’re punishing the good guy, and I don’t think this is a way to run a government. Someone polluted a shellfish bed, and so now we’re going to shut all the shellfish beds.

            “The second issue that is on my mind,” Burr continued, “I believe government should be by the people and for the people, so the people who are most affected by this are two and three or four people. It’s a tiny number. … We’ve got pages of regulations, and people who have been doing this for years should be listened to. One of them flat out told us she probably isn’t going to apply for a permit because of the new regulations. … I don’t think these regulations by themselves would drive them out, but when you pile too many things…”

            Focusing on costs, Cowell called the regulations “too restrictive for someone starting out, and too cost prohibitive.” He believes the issues addressed by the stricter regulations are already covered by a general statute.

            Malkoski said he views the Doonan situation “as a wakeup call” to put regulations in place that could save the town on future legal fees.

            Murphy offered his own clarification of the question about abandoned sites, explaining that existing grant holders can apply for them.

            “If they don’t already have the 3 acres, the way the regulations are written, they can apply up to 3 acres, but they have to do it in one consecutive area. Just because you have a site doesn’t mean they’re going to get the next one.”

            All existing grant holders for aquaculture sites in Marion Harbor are presently limited to a half-acre plot.

            Borsari suggested that the MRC forward the regulations to the Select Board with notations of the dissenting votes with comments from those voters. Malkoski called it an excellent idea.

            The MRC’s next scheduled meeting is Monday, August 16, at 7:00 pm via Zoom.

Marion Marine Resources Commission

By Mick Colageo

The Tao of Heirloom Gardening

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            The meeting room at the Mattapoisett Free Public Library was nearly filled to overflowing when John Forti came into the room to begin his hour-long presentation on the theme of heirloom plants. But Forti’s talk was so much more than merely discussing the virtues of growing plants that have a history, a connection to our collective past – it was a meditation on gardening as an extension of our humanity.

            Forti’s accomplishments in the world of gardening have centered on traditional plants and planting methods including those handed down to early settlers by indigenous people. He has held the positions of executive director of Bedrock Gardens in Lee, New Hampshire, director of horticulture at Plimouth Plantation, as well as director of horticulture for the Massachusetts Horticulture Society, the oldest such society in the nation. In recent years, Forti has co-founded a movement called Slow Food (seacoast division), an international grassroots organization founded in 1989 to help ensure the presence of local food cultures and traditions.

            Forti spoke of the importance of traditional plants and cultivation process in reverential tones that added soul to the topic. He talked about the need to maintain “homespun growing philosophies in a world with ever-increasing industrial food production …. Heirlooms hold and keep the past.”

            The author, garden historian, and ethnobotanist said he spent his childhood surrounded by nature and all the wonders of a boy growing up free to roam. Clearly those early experiences instilled in Forti a love of all things natural and all things growing.

            Addressing the audience directly, Forti suggested that they try looking through their gardens for edible weeds for everything from concocting cordials to salad ingredients. He said that our elders understood the medicinal qualities of wild plants long before modern pharmacological industries were developed, and that those same plants are still available if only we look. He also suggested that by growing these types of heirloom plants, our gardens would be more diverse and an improved habitat for birds, bees, and butterflies.

            “Sowing creates a sense of place,” Forti believes. “In a garden, we can disconnect from devices and connect to the earth, the plants.” He spoke of rescuing lady slippers when land developers were clearing lands, a move he called “environmental stewardship.” He also told the sad tale of a neighborhood apple tree centuries-old that was cut down to make way for construction. A hapless, careless act to his way of thinking.

            Turning to the audience again, Forti asked, “Who formed your love of plants?” Many said it was their mother; others said their grandparents. Clearly, the point made was one of traditions being passed down through familial generations and the need to continue to do so. “Kids know fewer than 10 plants in their backyard but can recognize hundreds of corporate logos.”

            Calling on his knowledge of ancient planting schemes, Forti said that early settlers learned how to cultivate plants in New England from the first people populating the area, and that the now well-known “three sisters,” corn, squash, beans, planted together created a whole food group. But he said they also learned about foraging the local woodlands for mushrooms, berries, sumac, purslane, and fiddleheads.

            Forti reminded all that we were subjected to post-WWII eating habits – canned and frozen vegetables over fresh homegrown produce. “Can you imagine eating canned spinach today?!” He said his work includes helping communities build up heirloom gardening practices. He also said we should support local farmers by shopping at farmers’ markets. On a bright note, Forti said that there has been a renaissance for such markets with some 20,000 now throughout the country.

            Again and again throughout his talk, Forti gently guided the group toward thinking more broadly about what to grow in their own yards – not the how, but the why. He called being a gardener a “tonic of wildness” and “an instrument of grace.” One felt thoroughly that “wild” and “grace” were exactly the best ways to describe the feeling of watching one’s planting efforts bloom over a growing season and then become seed for the next generation.

            Forti’s book published in June is titled, “The Heirloom Gardener: Traditional Plants and Skills for the Modern World.” His appearance in Mattapoisett was sponsored by a partnership of the Library Trust’s Purrington Lecture Series and the Mattapoisett Woman’s Club.

Mattapoisett Free Public Library

By Marilou Newell

Rochester Cultural Council Grants

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The Rochester Cultural Council (RCC) will soon be accepting online applications from organizations, schools, and individuals for grants to support community-oriented arts, humanities, and science programs. If you have a great idea for bringing culturally enriching programming to the Rochester area and need funding to make it a reality, we can help. The online application window will be open from September 1 – October 15.

            The Rochester Cultural Council is composed of a group of volunteers appointed by the Rochester Board of Selectmen. Our mission is to promote excellence, access, and diversity in the arts, humanities, and sciences in order to enhance the quality of life in the Rochester community. The Council strives to achieve these goals through the funding of local programs with grants awarded by the Mass Cultural Council; massculturalcouncil.org. Special priority is given to non-profit applicants from Rochester and to surrounding community projects that would substantially enrich Rochester. Inspiration may include programs such as school field trips, afterschool programs, concerts, festivals, lectures, theater, dance, music, and film. LCC projects may take place in schools, community centers, libraries, elder care facilities, town halls, parks, and wherever communities come together.

            The RCC is a part of the Local Cultural Council (LCC) Program, which is the largest grassroots cultural funding network in the nation supporting thousands of community-based projects in the arts, humanities, and sciences annually. This program is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency that yearly awards local councils more than $3 million in grants to more than 5,000 cultural programs statewide.

            Please be sure to check our website, www.townofrochestermass.com/cultural-council, or Facebook page, www.facebook.com/rochestermaculturalcouncil, for updates and more information on the application process as the window draws near.

            To contact the RCC directly with questions, or to become an RCC member, please email us at rochesterculturalcouncil@gmail.com.

Learning about, Living with White Sharks

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            Dr. Gregory Skomal is a Marion resident and internationally recognized expert on white sharks. His research is primarily funded by the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries and associated with the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and the State of New Hampshire to name a few.

            You’ve probably seen Skomal on TV talking about his work studying the behavior of white sharks off the eastern seaboard during National Geographic’s Shark Week blitz. You may even have had the opportunity to hear him speak over the course of the last three years at one of his local presentations hosted by the Sippican Lands Trust. On July 20, Skomal once again gave a riveting update on his ongoing work studying the behaviors of the top, or as he says, “apex” predators in the ocean, the Atlantic great white shark.

            It is now well understood why the sharks have returned to the northeastern Atlantic waters – seal populations have exploded. “In 1972, grey seals were near extinction,” Skomal reminded the virtual audience. The U.S. government sought to protect and restore seal populations, and those efforts paid off. “Fifty years later, the population has recovered and repopulated,” he explained. Several seal species have returned in vast numbers to their historic breeding and feeding areas – the northern Atlantic Ocean.

            Skomal sketched out the history of white sharks, reminding us that sharks have always been our saltwater neighbors. “In 1985, a shark population study showed that while sharks were as far north as Newfoundland, they weren’t there in great numbers.” But he reiterated that these northern locations are, in fact, among the shark’s migratory feeding locations.

            A graph showed that recent study of white shark movement finds the top predator is trolling the outer banks of the Cape Cod peninsula in numbers that humans may find shocking, but researchers find normal. White sharks have also been found in pockets along the shores of Plymouth and several locations on the inner shoals of Cape Cod Bay.

            But how are the sharks monitored? How are scientists collecting the data, and to what end game will the data serve human populations? Those were the primary topics of Skomal’s talk.

            Skomal wants to answer such questions as to where, when, and how sharks feed on seals. To answer those questions, he said researchers have to observe behavior directly and indirectly to look for patterns – in technical terms, “environmental correlates.” Once the behavior is well understood, the next step is to understand the patterns and the patterns’ predictability in an effort to provide solid forecasting of shark movements along the coast. By answering these questions, Skomal believes public safety will be better served.

            To study the animal in its watery habitat, Skomal said tagging sharks with various types of tracking devices is paramount. Currently in use are acoustic telemetry (179 of these tags have been placed on sharks to date), board-scale array (100 in use), and fine-scale array (55 in use). Another type of data collecting tag is the short-term, pop-up satellite tag, behavior tag, and fixed station aerial cameras. Between 2009 and 2020, 230 sharks provided tracking data.

            That data has proven that the outer banks of Cape Cod are the primary feeding ground for the apex predator, putting the wild animal and human activity on a collision course.

            “Until 2012, there had only been one reported shark attack in the northeast,” Skomal said. That was the 1936 fatal attack that took place in Mattapoisett. The victim was Joseph Troy, Jr. Locals have stated that Troy could have survived that attack, but first aid and emergency services at that time were far from what we enjoy today. Troy died of massive blood loss.

            In 2012, 2014, and 2017, three incidents in and around Wellfleet found humans having a “negative interaction” with white sharks, Skomal stated. Then, in 2018, a fatal interaction took place.

            “I never anticipated I’d be studying sharks; but, due to these attacks, my focus shifted to predator-prey relationships,” Skomal shared. His research has proven that sharks are using a deep trench near Head of the Meadow Beach in Truro to search for seals in their cat-and-mouse, predator-versus-prey, real-life dramas. It might be interesting to note here that sharks do not eat every day but may feed only several times over the course of a month.

            Skomal said some of the tracking devices can provide immediate information that a shark is close to shore. Real-time trackers and receivers can alert lifeguards on beaches to get swimmers out of the water. But, he said, while those safety efforts can avert a tragedy or negative interaction between human and shark, “Not all sharks are tagged.” He said there is a study taking place now to try and determine the number of white sharks in the cape area during the height of the season.

            Skomal also shed a bit of light on the realities of being a white shark just trying to earn a living. “If a seal sees the shark, the shark loses,” he said. Seals can outmaneuver a shark. He said that sharks do come in close to shore because “the seals aren’t stupid; they know the shark probably won’t chase them into shore.” But every now and then, a daring shark will do just that and win. The most successful hunting technique is an attack from below; hence, sharks in an underwater trench shouldn’t be surprising.

            Sharks migrate and feed around Cape Cod between June and November with their greatest numbers being here in August through October, said Skomal. “We are beginning to understand the shark’s movements because of the data collected.”

            There was good news for Buzzards Bay and those that recreate in those waters: While great white sharks are nearby, they seem to just pass by the opening of Buzzards Bay on their way to better hunting grounds, the cape’s outer banks and Nantucket Sound.

            What we know today: Sharks migrate from the southern eastern seaboard north as far as the Canadian Maritimes in a historic migratory pattern. Over the course of 50 years of protection, seal populations have increased, drawing more apex predators to the area. Researchers are using a variety of tracking devices to study shark movements and feeding habits in an effort to not only better understand the animal but to help humans stay out of the way, avoiding negative interaction and living more harmoniously with great white sharks. And, last but not least, more study and more data are needed to build a more complete understanding of these magnificent predators of the sea.

            Skomal says research and tagging efforts are currently scheduled to continue through 2023.

            Sippican Lands Trust will announce its next event in the virtual speaker series this month. The attendance cost via Zoom is $10 for members and $20 for non-members, and benefits the SLT’s land conservation efforts.

By Marilou Newell

EMC Thinking for A Greener Future

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            Evidence of the Tri-Town’s good fortune in brilliant citizens, mostly retirees, who cheerfully volunteer their talent and time to think their communities into a better future was on display July 28 when Marion Energy Management Committee gave Lisa Sullivan of the state’s Green Communities Program a projects tour.

            “I just go out to put eyes on it,” said Sullivan, whose eyes are on 85 municipalities as the state’s Southeast Region coordinator for the program. “Marion is a very engaged community and has a very engaged Energy Management Committee. … They stay in touch with me regularly, come up with ideas. They’re very engaged in the process and really want to be a leader.”

            The 250-foot-tall wind turbines that can be seen from Route 25 help provide Marion electricity at a reduced cost. Involvement in that project driven by the EMC was foundational to the town’s Green Communities status.

            “The committee is responsible for this town becoming a Green Community,” said Christian Ingerslev, the chair of the EMC. “This committee is entirely voluntary; we don’t get paid a penny. We’re all keen on energy… We can’t say we manage energy, but we try to persuade…”

            As Marion’s Select Board makes many decisions considering recommendations put forth by the Finance Committee, the Capital Improvement Planning Committee, and fund-raising entities like the Historical Commission and the non-government Sippican Historical Society, the EMC identifies needs and proposes energy-reduction projects incentivized by grant funding.

            In joining Green Communities three years ago, Marion is trying to reduce energy consumption by 20 percent over a five-year period. Ingerslev says the town’s reduction in energy use is at approximately 15-16.5 percent after three years.

            “We’ve still got to come up with some more ways to save energy,” he said, noting a plan to apply for a grant later this year that would result in another reduction.

            There is no penalty for not reaching the 20-percent threshold within the five-year timeframe. “It’s a target. We are trying realistically to do it,” said Ingerslev. “It might take six or seven [years to hit the mark].”

            The July 28 tour took Sullivan, Town Planner Gil Hilario, Marion Facilities Manager Shawn Cormier, and four members of the six-member EMC, Ingerslev, Eileen Marum, Bill Saltonstall, and Alanna Nelson, on visits to five locations beginning with the Cushing Community Center.

            There, Sullivan and the attending EMC members got their first look at the community center’s new electric heat pump system and attic insulation.

            Next stop was the main water pumping station just north of Route 195 off Thomas Lane, where the town has replaced an old oil furnace with a propane furnace. At the Music Hall, Marion has added insulation in the basement ceiling and in the attic. At the Silvershell pumping station on Front Street, an oil furnace has been replaced with a gas furnace. The tour finished at the Elizabeth Taber Library, where the group viewed the installation of window inserts between the panes of the building’s existing windows.

            According to Hilario, the total payback for the toured projects is 19.7 years and will save the town $5,475 annually.

            The effort to take advantage of Green Communities grand funding began with the town’s 2018 application; Marion was awarded its first grant in 2019. Having applied under the solar energy category, Marion met the bylaw/requirement and was designated a Green Community in 2019.

            The Green Communities Program dates back to 2010, and 280 of Massachusetts’ 351 municipalities are Green Communities. Rochester became a Green Community in February 2020, and Mattapoisett is working toward joining the program.

            “We’ve been making a lot of progress, especially in the (state’s) southeast region,” said Sullivan, whose job is to educate, facilitate, and then visit the sites. There, she inspects the work, discusses the projects with town officials, and takes photos.

            At the bookkeeping end of the process, towns submit invoices and proof of payment to the state.

            Towns apply for Green Communities grant funding on any of five broad criteria: renewable or alternative energy, generation (wind), manufacturing, or research and development. They are awarded a permit within a year and establish an energy-use baseline to address the 20-percent reduction goal.

            At the outset, buildings, water treatment, water and sewer-related pumping, and fuel all are evaluated for potential projects that would result in reducing energy consumption. Other areas to pursue can include a fuel-efficient vehicle policy that would reduce energy on a town’s fleet via hybrid or even fully electric vehicles or adopting the state’s Stretch Energy Code that increases energy efficiency requirements in new construction.

            The 2019 “designation projects” that resulted in Marion being awarded initial Green Communities grants included completion of new LED lighting and demand-control ventilation at Sippican School, and a new gas boiler at the fire station. The 2019 projects resulted in annual savings of $22,027 with a six-year payback time.

            Grant funding applications are an ongoing and overlapping process, and this is Marion’s first year of participating projects in the competitive round.

            Altogether, the Green Communities program has saved Marion $27,502 on an annual basis; those savings will project out over a total 25.7 years in “payback time.”

            Given Green Communities’ potential for long-range solutions and badly needed modernization of aging municipal facilities, the EMC is on the constant lookout for qualifying projects that would solve immediate problems or address long-range concerns.

            “We think that climate issues are something that the town has to pay more attention to,” said Ingerslev.

Marion Energy Management Committee

By Mick Colageo