Mattapoisett Awarded Grant Money for Safety Signals

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Mattapoisett was awarded $450,000 as part of the MassDOT STRAP (Small Town Road Assistance Program) for a new emergency-vehicle traffic signal along County Road (Route 6) adjacent to the new Mattapoisett Fire Station currently being constructed. The traffic signal is a critical piece of the infrastructure necessary to allow for safe and efficient access to Route 6 while improving emergency response.

            “This grant money will provide the much-needed traffic signal to allow our emergency responders safe entrance and exit from the station, as well as alerting motorists travelling on that stretch of roadway that emergency apparatus are exiting the fire station”, said Rep. Bill Straus (D-Mattapoisett).

            Town voters approved a new fire station at the 2018 Town Meeting, and the new fire station will be adjacent to the Mattapoisett Police Station.  Construction began on the new facility in June of 2020 and the expected completion is slated for end of Summer 2021.

            The road and traffic signal work associated with the new Mattapoisett station on Route 6 is also slated for state transportation funding as a result of a legislative earmark included by Rep. Straus in the 2020 statewide Transportation Bond Bill.

Mattapoisett Teachers Adopt One-Year Deal

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            The Mattapoisett School Committee met on July 1 by Zoom, went into executive session, and emerged to vote to accept a memorandum of agreement with the Mattapoisett Educators Association. The one-year agreement includes a 2.25-percent pay increase.

            Mattapoisett Town Administrator Mike Lorenco also attended the meeting and voted in the affirmative, along with committee members Carly Lavin, Tiffini Reedy, Karin Barrows, and Chair James Muse. Committee member Shannon Finning voted against the agreement for a 5-1 tally that resulted in passing the MOA.

            In Old Rochester Regional School District news, Superintendent of Schools Mike Nelson recently announced that Peter Crisafulli has been hired as the new assistant principal of Sippican School in Marion. Crisafulli has over 19 years of experience as a public school administrator and 10 years working in community mental health and social services.

            “Pete has over two decades of experience in public education leadership and administration, as well as human services, and I am confident his expertise will be a valuable addition to the Sippican School team,” stated Nelson in a press release. “We look forward to welcoming Pete to our district.”

            Crisafulli’s 19 years in public school administration saw him serve from 2009 to 2018 as principal at Whately Elementary School, a public school that enrolled 116 students in 2020-21 in the western Massachusetts town. Crisafulli had been assistant principal of Deerfield Elementary School and director of the transitional education program at Frontier Regional High School in South Deerfield.

            Crisafulli has 10 years of experience in community mental health and social services, including several positions with the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children in Holyoke. He sits on the Board of Directors of the nonprofit Treehouse Foundation (foster care), and volunteers with the Friends of Children organization as a mentor for young people aging out of the foster-care system.

            In a separate press release thanking various stakeholders across the Tri-Town, Nelson lauded faculty, staff, and administration for their adjustments and contributions to the 2020-21 academic year that began with a vast majority of students attending school on a part-time basis, splitting that time with learning via remote access.

            Late in the winter, when the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education began green-lighting a return to full-time, in-person learning, ORR District schools first brought back K-2 students, followed by Grades 3-6 and eventually Grades 6-12. A small number of students opted to join the full-remote minority rather than pivot to full in-person, and the hybrid model was discontinued.

            The pivot to full-time, in-person learning required careful planning in each of the school buildings, and wherever possible, district schools maintained a 6-foot social distance, even after the state adjusted the guideline to 3 feet. Nelson thanked building, food service, technology, custodial, maintenance, and transportation staff and town health officials for providing a safe return for students and faculty.

            “Our nurses and physicians across the district continually monitored health guidance and created and adjusted our health protocols and precautionary measures as needed,” said Nelson. “Our partners across the tri-towns are always valuable advocates for the district, and we were especially grateful for their advice and assistance this year. They helped us to make decisions and overcome challenges as we planned for the known and unknown; and, as always, they were wonderful supporters of our schools.

            “Our students demonstrated incredible perseverance and resilience and made the best of various learning models and events that needed to be held in non-traditional ways. Of course, our students would not be as successful as they are each year without the support of their parents and families. We wish our entire school community a safe, healthy, and enjoyable summer.”

            The ORR Joint School Committee/Superintendents Union #55 was scheduled to meet on July 6, when it is expected the JSC will address Nelson’s mid-cycle review. The Wanderer will report on that meeting in the July edition.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett School Committee was not scheduled at adjournment. The next scheduled school committee meetings are as follows: Rochester on Thursday, September 2; Marion on Wednesday, September 8; and ORR on Wednesday, September 15. All school committee meetings are scheduled to be held at 6:30 pm.

School Committees

By Mick Colageo

Slow Progress on MOSAC Projects

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            In the July 1 meeting of the Marion Open Space Acquisition Commission at the Police Station, Chair John Rockwell characterized progress on various projects as “slow,” but said, “The wheels are turning.”

            MOSAC is involved in several areas around Marion, and the nature of that involvement seems to change with every location.

            In his Point Road Path Update, Rockwell said he and member Amanda Chace recently visited the site that was originally staked out to mark a proposed route between Joanne Drive and Jenna Drive that has since been altered.

            The alterations are meant to reduce the number of trees needing removing that, with a crane and a tree removal service, would cost MOSAC approximately $2,000 per tree.

            “We decided to look again,” said Rockwell, noting that of the 60 stakes placed every 50 feet, the 11th through the 19th stakes were rerouted to avoid taking some of the trees in the way of the original path. “We figured on five trees that would be over 24 inches (in diameter), and it might be more than that.”

            Before doing any fiscal work, Rockwell said MOSAC has to have at least half of the tree clearing completed.

            The Point Road Path can be divided into two sections – one between Creek Road and Joanne Drive, and the other between Joanne Drive and Jenna Drive. The section between Joanne Drive and Jenna Drive is mostly on property controlled by MOSAC or in the town’s layout of Point Road (not needing permissions). The project portion from Joanne Drive to Creek Road includes approximately half in the road layout and half encroaching on an easement involving seven property owners and the original developer for a bike path.

            The project also requires a permit from the town’s Conservation Commission. Rockwell had applied to the ConCom, but said the Select Board got involved and, after fact finding, made it a DPW matter.

            Rockwell said the town-hired engineer deemed the project appropriate for a Notice of Intent filing with the ConCom. Further DPW questions about load bearing and specifications prompted Rockwell to consult with former MOSAC member Jeffrey Oakes so he can redraw the plans.

            Calling the gravel and processed stone area “a glorified driveway,” Rockwell said that a Planning Board subcommittee estimated $80,000 in engineering and permitting costs. “We didn’t have it in our budget because we thought we could do it,” he said, noting that the number is about right. “It’s not an insurmountable thing, it’s just a time thing.”

            The entire budget for the Point Road Path is approximately $250,000.

            In reporting on a meeting with Marion DPW Director Nathaniel Munafo about the 75-acre Great Swamp Conservation Area off Joanne Drive, Rockwell described an access point originally complicated by the placement of a stormwater basin relative to the residential subdivision that resulted in a dike intercepting the path.

            Work was done to rectify the potential danger and make the path suitable to foot traffic, but now the mission is to make the path accessible to emergency vehicles. The plan is for Rockwell and Munafo and Jody Dickerson of the DPW to work with Fire Chief Brian Jackvony and formulate a site plan to present to the Conservation Commission, as there are wetlands on either side of the path.

            Without a budget line item, Rockwell said MOSAC’s assistance will be limited to project approval and helping secure permitting.

            The east-west trail at Goldavitz Bog was also briefly discussed.

            The Little Neck Estates village residential project obtained a permit from the Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program to build. Although the permit came with the requirement of a conservation restriction, none of the stakeholders were experienced in conservation restrictions, according to Rockwell, who got involved in May 2019. He enlisted the Sippican Lands Trust to hold the CR on the 6.33-acre town-owned property that serves as a wildlife habitat for turtles.

            The clerical steps in completing the measure have been bogged down by lack availability of key stakeholders and lack of proper execution with the deed at the Plymouth County level, according to Rockwell, who described it as an endangered species CR for an area with thick vines and poison ivy that is not suited for visitors.

            Later in the meeting, Rockwell noted that people have been dumping grass and brush at the Great Swamp property entrance and on other CR properties.

            The vacancy created by Oakes will result in advertisement in the local press for new members.

            New member Debbie Ewing introduced herself to the commission at the July 1 meeting. A Jenny Lane resident, Ewing told the commission that she has come to Marion her entire life and became a permanent resident in 2013. Since 2015 she has been involved with the turtle habitat in her neighborhood.

            Member Casey Gunschel was not present, therefore, lacking a quorum, MOSAC held no votes.

            Rockwell encouraged interested listeners to email MOSAC for more information to: openspace@marionma.gov. The next meeting of the Marion Open Space Acquisition Commission was not scheduled at adjournment.

Marion Open Space Acquisition Commission

By Mick Colageo

Bertha S. (Miethe) Perrault

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Bertha S. (Miethe) Perrault, 102, of Mattapoisett died peacefully in her home on July 10, 2021, where she was under the care of her loving daughters.

She was the wife of the late Edward A. Perrault and daughter of the late Bernard and Bertha (Ochs) Miethe.

            Bertha was a city girl, born and raised in Boston. She travelled the country by train as a young woman and worked in the Insurance industry until her marriage. She and Ed moved to Mattapoisett in the early 1960s, where they happily raised their four children. She was a wonderful mother and grandmother, loving and supportive, and active in the community and the church. She led a Cub Scout group for years, and volunteered for many school and church activities. Her family, pets included, was her focus and her world.

            She was retired from the ORR School Superintendant’s Office and was a communicant of St. Anthony’s Church. Born before women had the right to vote, she was tuned in to politics until her death and was proud and happy to cast her ballot for the first woman to run for President.

            Survivors include her two daughters, Christine Rosperich, and Kathleen Guilherme and her husband John, all of Mattapoisett; two sons, Edward Perrault and his wife Laurie Goldberg of Westport, CT, and Stephen Perrault and his wife Madeline Novak of Agawam, MA; four grandchildren, Jeffrey Guilherme and his wife Jeana Conley, Dana Guilherme, Gregory Rosperich and his wife Florencia Rago, and Jonathan Rosperich; and a great-grandson, Chase Guilherme.

            She was the mother-in-law of the late William Rosperich and was pre-deceased by her siblings Bernard Miethe, Joseph Miethe, Francis Miethe and Marie Roy.

The family wishes to thank the Southcoast VNA Hospice Group for their caring support during Bertha’s final journey.

            Her Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday, July 13th at 11 AM in St. Anthony’s Church. Burial will follow in St. Anthony’s Cemetery. Visiting hours are omitted. Arrangements are with the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home For Funerals, 50 County Road, Mattapoisett. For online condolence book, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

What’s Happening at the Elizabeth Taber Library?

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July 13, 6:30 pm: Mandala workshop with author and artist Dannie Engwert. The author of “Good Grief” celebrates joy through art. Design your own found object mandalas and take home a photographic keepsake of your creations. This is an outdoor program at the library for teens and adults.

            July 20, 1:00 pm: Flying High Dogs. Mike Piazza and his performing border collies visit the library for a high-flying frisbee spectacular! The Flying High Frisbee dog show is interactive, dynamic, and fun – guaranteed to entertain and thrill crowds of all ages! Event held outdoors at the library.

            July 23 and 24 from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm: Outdoor Book Sale! On Friday and Saturday, shop our outdoor book sale! All purchases directly benefit the library.

            Outdoor story times with Children’s Librarian Ms. Heather start in July! Join us every Friday at 10:30 in our reading circle. All ages welcome, no sign up required, weather permitting.

            More activities to be announced throughout the summer; Check out our website and Facebook page for updates.

            Outdoor story times with Children’s Librarian Ms. Heather started in July! Join us every Friday at 10:30 am in our reading circle. All ages welcome, no sign up required.

            More activities to be announced throughout the summer; Check out our website and Facebook page for updates.

            Check out our website for more upcoming events including story time dates for July! Don’t forget to sign up for the “Tales and Tails” summer reading program! Sign up at the Elizabeth Taber Library to receive a Reading Buddy Kit that comes with a reading log and a surprise mini zoo animal reading buddy. Earn prizes for reading! Additionally, every hour you read equals a dollar donated to Heifer International with the help of Eastern Bank. Heifer International donates animals that provide families all over the world with food and livelihood! So, keep reading for a good cause!

            The Elizabeth Taber Library is conducting a community survey as part of our long-range strategic planning. We need your input to help us make decisions about future programs, services, and policies. Take the Elizabeth Taber Library Planning Survey online to be entered to win a $20 gift card. Print surveys are available at the Library, COA, and at the Marion Arts center.

            To take the survey visit forms.gle/4QRKiG3Zf7LLkfiU9 or visit www.ElizabethTaberLibrary.org. For questions or comments please email ETLibrarysurvey@gmail.com or call the library at 508-748-1252.

Widowed Persons Support

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The Mattapoisett COA holds Widowed Persons Support every first Thursday of each month at 9:30 am at 17 Barstow Street, Mattapoisett, MA, at the COA Entrance. Free and confidential, Led by Nancy Arnold, Bereavement Counselor, Southcoast Health VNA. Contact Nancy for more information at 508-973-3227 or ArnoldN@southcoast.org.

            Have you (or maybe someone you know) lost a spouse, life partner, or significant other?  The loss can be one of the greatest stresses a person can experience. Coping with the emotional upheaval and social readjustment can be overwhelming and incapacitating. A support group can provide hope and reassurance. A support group can remind you that you are not alone. Being with others who have similar struggles can be helpful. A support group can bring different perspectives to help you on your grief journey. A support group is a place you can feel a sense of belonging. Consider attending one session and take it from there.

Washburn Park Deserves Ribbon for Show

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            The 74th Annual Marion Horse Show is a cherished event for the town and the surrounding area. So, when the skies darkened and threatened this year’s event, people arrived anyway, towing their horse trailers loaded down with supplies for equines and their humans. This year’s event was held on July 3 at Washburn Park.

            There were over 70 entries, which show officials said was a very respectable number, given the extremely cool, damp conditions. But Washburn Park in Marion was ready for the day’s much anticipated show where riders, handlers, and horses worked together in synchronicity.

            This event titled, “Open Pleasure Show Class C,” featured 58 different categories with descriptive titles such as ‘pony in hand,’ ‘walk/trot pleasure,’ ‘stock seat equitation,’ and ‘hunt seat pleasure.’ From the tiniest person to the adults that participated, this was the culmination of many hours of training, even a lifetime’s worth.

            Most of the riders were young women and girls riding English-style, dressed in jodhpurs and cutaway coats with their hair neatly tucked away. But punctuated throughout the day were Western riders as well, every bit as turned out in their boots and breeches. And let’s not forget the horses all brushed to glowing sheens and many sporting braided tails, knotted manes, and some with colorful ribbons.

            Show day is a very big deal. Still, shows like this need a venue equal to the task, and that’s where Washburn Park fills the bill.

            Officially known as the Charles R. Washburn Park, these forested acres have for decades been a place to connect with nature. Scouts, athletic teams, schools, dog walkers, horseback riders, senior citizens, and families gathering to celebrate or worship. People from the Tri-Town area or those visiting for a day find this park a place to experience life surrounded by the natural environment.

            Marion Horse Show Committee President and Co-Manager of the event Jeffrey DeMoura noted that show venues as well-designed as that found in Washburn Park are few and far between. “We don’t get this at other places,” he said.

            As lifelong resident Sherman Briggs, in attendance to watch his granddaughter ride in the show, recalled, a group of local landowners donated acreage to the town for the purpose of creating the park. He said local contractors used their equipment and skills to carve out such features as the riding ring with its glorious stone wall, a ring that has been terraced into the landscape giving spectators an elevated view of the events taking place therein. The park also features balls fields, walking and riding trails, tennis and basketball courts, and a playground.

            “The Buzzards Bay Coalition, along with the Sippican Lands Trust, collaborated to add 109 acres of protected land to Washburn Park,” the BBC states on its website. But it is the Washburn Park Trust and its board of directors in partnership with various town departments and administrations over the years that controls the use and maintenance of the original parklands.

            Washburn Park is a critical historic, recreational, and social point of interest in Marion. Yet it cannot sustain itself. It needs the support of the town. Before the event, Department of Public Works crews cleared trees and brush, giving the park a bit of a shine. They were schedule to return afterwards to do the cleanup, as well. DeMoura heaped praise on MHS board member and recent DPW addition Jody Dickerson and Marion’s staff for making that happen.

            As the show wrapped up, the rain that had been promised poured down, but DeMoura said, “We were done by then.… It was a fantastic day! Everyone was saying what a great show it was in spite of the weather.” He was also pleased to add that no one was injured, and the two riders that were off their mounts landed upright on their feet. I say, “Well done, all.”

By Marilou Newell

            Listed below are the champion and reserve champion from each Championship Class in the July 3 Marion Horse Show held at Washburn Park.

            Leadline Equitation 6 & Under Championship: 1st place, Georgia Cole-Vieira, riding Aspen (trainer Jocelyn Maniglia); 2nd place, Layla Ramos, riding Finnegan’s Wake (Equestrian Element).

            Leadline Equitation 7-10 years old Championship: 1st place, Morgan Myers, riding Boxford Bulls & Bears (A&M Equine); 2nd place, Isabella Rodriquez, riding Motion Maker (Edgewood Farms).

            Walk Trot Pleasure 18 & over Championship: 1st place, Amber Ferreira, riding Splash of Sass (Holly Grove Equestrian); 2nd place. Alexa Betta-Rue, riding Sunny Scout (Michelle Cravenho training).

            Novice Horse Walk Trot Pleasure Championship: 1st place, Makayla Dupe, riding Sugar Brook Easily Blue (Holly Grove Equestrian center); 2nd place, Nicole Blundell, riding Canadream Kalbeck DBest.

            Novice Horse Walk Trot Canter Pleasure Championship: 1st place, Mia Oliveira, riding Homero (Michelle Cravenho training); 2nd place, Crystal Mattia, riding Newmonts Victory Dance (Michelle Cravenho training).

            Walk Trot Pleasure 10 & under Championship – Class A: 1st place, Addison Marshman, riding Newmonts Immortal Homerun (Michelle Cravenho training); 2nd place, Sarah Vieira, riding Splash of Sass (Holly Grove Equestrian Center).

            Walk Trot Pleasure 10 & under Championship – Class B: 1st place, Nevaeh Merritt, riding Sugah (Washburn Stables); 2nd place, Abby Pereira, riding Sunny Scout (Michelle Cravenho training).

            Walk Trot 10 & Under Equitation Championship – Class A: 1st place, Abby Pereira, riding Sunny Scout (Michelle Cravenho training); 2nd place, Nevaeh Merritt, riding Sugah (Washburn Stables).

            Walk Trot 10 & Under Equitation Championship – Class B: 1st place, Addison Marshman, riding Newmonts Immortal Homerun (Michelle Cravenho training); 2nd place, Lucy Bradford, riding Raggedy Anne (Bradford Farm).

            Walk Trot Pleasure 11-17 Championship: 1st place, Gianna Rollock, riding Boxford Bulls & Bears (A&M Equine); 2nd place, Helena Morrison, riding Tanner (Equestrian Element).

            Stock Seat Equitation Championship: 1st place, Taryn Gomes, riding Castle Ridge Truly Above (First Foundations Farm).

            Hunt Seat Walk Trot Canter 17 & under: 1st place, Macee Pina, riding Cooper (Equestrian Element); 2nd place, Makayla Dupe, riding Splash of Sass (Holly Grove Equestrian Center).

            Walk Trot Equitation Championship: 1st place, Amber Ferreira, riding Splash of Sass (Holly Grove Equestrian center); 2nd place, Alexa Betta-Rue, riding Sunny Scout (Michelle Cravenho Training).

            Junior Exhibitor Hack Championship: 1st place, Mia Oliveira, riding Homero (Michelle Cravenho Training); 2nd place, Kyra Johnson, riding Pumpkin Moonshine (Washburn Stables).

            Cowboy Classic 17 & under Rescue Horse (This benefit class was started because of a special rescue horse named Cowboy. This year there were 12 entries of all sizes. The class is sponsored by the Devlin Family and monies are donated to Don’t Forget Us Pet Us sanctuary): 1st place, Neveah Merritt, riding Sugah (Washburn Stables); 2nd place, Gianna Rollock, riding Boxford Bulls & Bears (A&M Equine).

            Pony Open Pleasure Walk Trot Canter Championship: Jessica Janak, riding Tanner (Equestrian Element).

            Ladies Open Walk Trot Canter Championship: 1st place, Stephanie Speers, riding Leap of Faith (First Foundations Farm); 2nd place, Tiffany Eldridge, riding Century Oak Balinese (Perry Paquette training).

            Walk Trot Equitation 11-17 Championship: 1st place, Gianna Rollock, riding Boxford Bulls & Bears (A&M Equine); 2nd place, Leah Vieira, riding Cocoa Puff (Holly Grove Equestrian Center).

            Adult Equitation Walk Trot Canter 18 & over Championship: 1st place, Bonnie Penniman, riding Shine on Harvest Moon (Bradford Stables); 2nd place, Stephanie Speers, riding Leap of Faith (first Foundations farm).

            Western Junior Exhibitor 17 & under Championship: 1st place, Taryn Gomes, riding Castle Ridge Truly Above (First Foundations Farm).

            Hunter Open Walk Trot Canter Championship: 1st place, Mia Oliveira, riding Homero (Michelle Cravenho training); 2nd place, Makayla Dupe, riding Splash of Sass (Holly Grove Equestrian Center).

            Road Hack Championship: 1st place, Stephanie Speers, riding Leap of Faith (First Foundations Farm); 2nd place, Crystal Mattia, riding Newmont’s Victory Dance (Michelle Cravenho training).

St. Philip’s Episcopal Church

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The Rev. Paul Goranson, Retired Rector Grace Church, Oxford, MA, will officiate on July 11 at 8:00 am and 10:00 am services using the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. All are welcome at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, by the Town Beach, in Mattapoisett on Sunday, July 11. Masks required at this time.

Academic Achievements

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College of the Holy Cross congratulates more than 1,451 students who were named to the Spring 2021 Dean’s List, including Collin Fitzpatrick of Marion, majoring in Economics; Danielle Nutter of Mattapoisett, majoring in History; and Anne Le Gassick of Mattapoisett, majoring in Undeclared.

            Coastal Carolina University recognized nearly 1,200 students during its in-person Spring 2021 commencement ceremonies, held Friday, May 7, and Saturday, May 8, in Brooks Stadium. Among the graduates was Nicholas Kondracki, an Intelligence & National Security Studies major from Mattapoisett.

            Emerson College awarded more than 950 undergraduate degrees and more than 470 graduate degrees for the Class of 2021 on Sunday, May 2, at Fenway Park in Boston during its 141st commencement exercises, and virtually on Sunday, May 9. The college also honored the Class of 2020 graduates in an additional ceremony at Fenway Park on May 2. Sophie Polonsky of Marion received a BA in Media Arts Production.

            Sarah M Sollauer of Rochester made the Dean’s List at Wentworth Institute of Technology for the Spring 2021 semester.

            Below is a list of Tri-Town students who were named to the dean’s list at the University of Massachusetts Amherst for the spring 2021 semester:

            From Marion – Paul Johnson Albani, Julia M Barrett, Jacob Dorothy, Nicole Wu Sha Fantoni, Lauren Elizabeth Gonsalves, Hannah Guard, Daniel Yunhui Hartley, Nathaniel David King, and Alissya C Silva.

            From Mattapoisett – Samantha Lynn Ball, Andrew David Bichsel, Mary Clare Butler, Sophia Kelley Clingman, Danielle Elizabeth Craig, Aidan Patrick Downey, Kerri Dube, Megan McGregor Field, Ryu Bao Huynh-Aoyama, Kara Lucero Jackivicz, Morgan Luisa Mendonca, Samantha Nicolosi, Carly Angel O’Connell, Jahn A Pothier Jr, Jacob Spevack, and Alexander Michael Wurl.

            From Rochester – Colby Ryan Alves, Erin Patricia Burke, Celia Grace Deverix, Arissa Francis, Sydney Elizabeth Green, Brianna Grignetti, Amelia Ann Isabelle, Benjamin Thomas Lafrance, Alisha Corinne Mackin, Olivia Victoria Taber, Jake Robert Thompson, Kurt Arthur Thompson, and Ryan Steven Vieira.

            In order to qualify, an undergraduate student must receive a 3.5 grade-point average or better on a four-point scale.

Pests Prompt Possible Dumpster Regs in Marion

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            The Marion Board of Health on July 6 considered adding some dumpster regulations to the town’s Health Code to combat an increasing issue with pests, particularly raccoons, causing problems at the dumpsters of area establishments.

            Health Agent Anna Wimmer told the board that she and Public Health Nurse Lori Desmarais researched the regulations held by other Massachusetts municipalities in light of several complaints of raccoons and other pests invading dumpsters seemingly in search of food.

            Dumpster regulations, which Marion does not currently have, would help ensure that businesses, particularly those involving food, keep their dumpsters tightly closed and have them emptied in a timely manner, Wimmer said. In Mashpee, for example, Wimmer said there are separate hauling regulations aimed at hauling companies requiring them to “keep up their end of the bargain” and oversee a regular schedule of dumpster emptying.

            According to Wimmer, many of the complaints in Marion are related to one housing facility, and that facility’s housing association is not at fault for the ongoing problem with the dumpster, she said.

            Potential dumpster regulations in Marion could address the need for tight-fitting lids and covers, which must remain closed when not immediately in use, and routine schedules of dumpster emptying and cleaning. The primary issue is cleanliness, said Wimmer, “to make sure that they’re not attracting any pests.”

            Also during the meeting, the board held its public hearing to adopt regulations titled “Guidance for Body Art Establishments.” The adopted draft appeared “pretty reasonable” to BOH member Dr. John Howard, and BOH member Dot Brown commented that Wimmer’s suggestion to have the new regs take effect later in August or September was also reasonable, given that the ones seeking to open a microblading and permanent make-up business in Marion will not be ready to apply for the appropriate licenses with the town until late summer or early fall.

            Wimmer said she would soon be out of the office on maternity leave, so the one who will replace her in the interim would likely be the one to perform the newly established inspections for the applicants to receive their licenses to operate.

            The board adopted the associated fees for such establishments after Wimmer and Desmarais researched the licensing fees of surrounding towns. The town will charge $150 for a license (area towns charge a range of $100-$200), and practitioner and apprentice license fees will be $75 and $50, respectively, both within the average range of other towns.

            In other matters, Desmarais gave a COVID-19 report, announcing that there have been zero new cases in June and zero during this first week of July. Marion saw a total of 425 cases of the coronavirus since the pandemic began.

            On the mosquito front, the Department of Public Health began testing mosquitos for West Nile Virus and found its first positive sample in Medford in Middlesex County.

            There are two confirmed cases of the tick-borne disease babesiosis, five cases of anaplasmosis, and seven Lyme disease cases in Marion, emphasizing the need for residents to remain vigilant and take measures to protect themselves from tick bites.

            Raccoon sighting calls have decreased to zero over the past three weeks, according to Desmarais, who has been in contact with Marion’s animal control officer.

            The next meeting of the Marion Board of Health will be scheduled at the end of the summer.

Marion Board of Health

By Jean Perry