Editor’s note: The Wanderer invited candidates in contested races (more candidates than open seats) to write up to 350 words explaining their candidacy. Questions submitted by the League of Women Voters South Coast helped provide talking points for the candidates. Two candidates are running for open seat on the Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen that is being vacated by Paul Silva. The seat held by the late John DeCosta will be addressed in a separate election. The entries for the May 18 election are presented in alphabetical order:

Jodi Lynn Bauer – Mattapoisett Selectmen

            After hearing of Paul Silva’s retirement, the time felt right. I feel a woman’s viewpoint will help with the general operations of Town Government. I’ve been encouraged by townspeople for years to run because I am involved, caring and supportive.

            I have been a business owner in town for 35 years and also handled the financial affairs for our family concrete business. I was elected to the Community Preservation Committee, decision making to support or not recommend taxpayer dollars on preservation, land purchase and other projects. I actively attend town meetings and pay attention to Mattapoisett’s fiscal standings.

            It’s important to consider the needs of the older residents in town. Most of these residents have lived here their entire lives and raised families here. They have paid taxes for years and deserve to stay here. There needs to be options for older residents to downsize or find affordable living. I support the Council on Aging and we need to continue to offer services to our seniors. If change is needed to Mattapoisett’s Zoning ordinances, I’d encourage affordable housing for the older population and the new young homeowners. We also have an industrial district that could accommodate more business, and Route 6 could grow.

            How does anyone generate interest to the public to serve any office? Working as a boy scout leader for years, encouragement is key and helps lead by providing information. Residents that commit their time to serve on boards/committees are citizens that care for their community. If you have ideas, devote yourself. It’s rewarding and makes you aware of what’s going on in your community.

            Mattapoisett currently holds a AAA bond rating, key to keeping this town’s high standards with borrowing so we can continue to proceed with larger projects. I will work with the town administrator, selectmen, Finance Committee and the town’s financial team to continue our successful financial standing. If the town were to receive a $1,000,000 grant to use as I wanted, depending on the stipulations of such monies, I’d look into housing at this time. Thank you.

Nicki Demakis – Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen

            I grew up here and, while I’ve had a home in Mattapoisett village for many years, I now live here permanently and want to lend my professional services to my hometown. Mattapoisett faces a perfect storm of initiatives and challenges that will require experienced leadership.

            I am a trained trial lawyer with significant experience building consensus across groups of people with diverse viewpoints, working toward common goals. As a business owner and partner of a law firm, I play a leadership role in setting policy, implementing procedures, and enforcing an annual strategic plan. This skillset aligns well with the responsibility of a selectman.

            Affordable housing for certain populations in town is in demand and below the 10 percent threshold required by law, triggering 40B consideration. I have other ideas how Mattapoisett could use existing zoning bylaws to allow Accessory Dwelling Units or in-law apartments to be utilized more dynamically. Mattapoisett’s Zoning Ordinance, per Section 7.3 of Mattapoisett’s Zoning By-laws, can only be amended at an annual or special Town Meeting in accordance with the provisions of MGL Section 5 Chapter 40A. This means that they may only be changed by town vote.

            To generate more interest in public service, I would retool our municipal workforce to avoid having employees report to family members in positions of supervision. Qualifications for public office should not be dependent upon family legacy, rather based on education, professional skillset and relevant/business experience.

            If elected, my first priority in improving Mattapoisett’s financial standing would be to keep our Triple A Standard & Poor’s bond rating so we can continue negotiating favorable borrowing rates and retire debt before taking on new debt, while continuing to explore ways to reduce the tax rate and increase revenue from other sources.

            If Mattapoisett received a $1,000,000 grant to use any way I wanted, I would fund an assessment of all town buildings, establish a grant matching account so the town has funds available for any project partially funded by a grant, and what remains to be used on capital items considered by the board.

Editor’s note: The Wanderer invited candidates in contested races (more candidates than open seats) to write up to 350 words explaining their candidacy. Questions submitted by the League of Women Voters South Coast helped provide talking points for the candidates. Two candidates are running for the open seat vacated by retiring Mattapoisett Highway Surveyor Barry Denham. The entries are presented in alphabetical order:

Garrett Bauer – Mattapoisett Highway Surveyor

            My name is Garrett Bauer and I am a candidate running for Mattapoisett Highway Surveyor. I was raised in Mattapoisett, graduated from Old Rochester Regional High School in 2009 and earned a bachelor’s degree from Plymouth State University. I have been with the Highway Department for nearly nine years and have developed the skills and responsibilities to lead the department. I am licensed in all aspects at the Highway Department and continue to better myself by attending classes related to municipal budgeting, capital planning and the latest OSHA standards.

            With roughly 45 miles of paved town road, it is important that we apply basic maintenance to achieve full longevity of pavement. In areas of town where a reconstruction is needed, we apply compliance with stormwater management, ADA-compliant sidewalks and communication with the Water/Sewer Department and local utilities. While reconstructing to modern standards, we keep in mind the character of Mattapoisett and the importance of access to town services. With COA, the town nurse, library, tennis courts, waterfront and Town Hall centralized in the village, it is vital to have safe pedestrian travel to these services and recreational facilities. Not only is the village a concern for pedestrian travel, areas like North Street towards the Rochester line, the bike path intersections and safe road crossing along Route 6 need to be taken into account. I intend to look at all of that mileage and determine what is best for the town.

            Having grown up in Mattapoisett with an extensive family history, I genuinely care for the community. I love my job and the people I work with and take pride in the department. I understand the department’s capital needs and the importance of a balanced budget. I know where the town needs to improve roadways, where to do maintenance and take responsibility to provide the residents with safe and convenient roadways. While good condition of pavement is pertinent, providing the town with solid service and maintenance is expected. I look forward to the election and hope to be elected as Mattapoisett’s next highway surveyor.

Gary Bowman – Mattapoisett Highway Surveyor

            My name is Gary Bowman and I am running for the position of Highway Surveyor in Mattapoisett. I live here in Mattapoisett with my wife and son and I am a lifelong resident. My biggest inspiration to run for this position is my father, who held the position for 19 years. His love for the town and dedication for the job made a lasting impression on me.

            I have grown up around construction and as a teenager spent a lot of time at the Highway Department. I witnessed firsthand the duties of the Highway Department and how they were done. For over 20 years, I have also been a part-time snowplow operator for the town.

            I have owned a small excavation business for the past nine years. I perform excavation for foundations, water, sewer, other utilities, grading and some landscaping. Working for myself has given me a lot of experience working with a budget, working with customers and other contractors. Before starting my company, I worked for a sand gravel company for 12 years. My job was to operate all equipment, service and make repairs. My duties included building cranberry bogs, irrigation ponds and the maintenance of gravel haul roads. This was a very small company and we were required to perform every task efficiently.

            The Highway Department, the town and the duties of the highway surveyor have grown a lot from years ago, and I accept that challenge. My goals are to keep operating costs down without affecting the great service that the people of Mattapoisett receive. This means making major purchases only when absolutely necessary, pursuing all state and federal monies that are available for road improvements and, most of all, helping keep the tradition of great work that past and present workers and surveyors have done for Mattapoisett. Thank you.

Editor’s note: The Wanderer invited candidates in contested races (more candidates than open seats) to write up to 350 words explaining their candidacy. Questions submitted by the League of Women Voters South Coast helped provide talking points for the candidates. Three candidates including incumbents William Osier and Elizabeth Sylvia are running for two open seats on the Mattapoisett Library Trustees. The entries are presented in alphabetical order:

William Osier – Mattapoisett Library Trustees

            Currently serving as Chairman of the Mattapoisett Free Public Library Board of Trustees, I am running for re-election in 2021.

            The public library is an institution central to the community and for the great benefit of all citizens. Not only is the Mattapoisett library a remarkable collection of 49,028 books and a total of 55,973 items, and in addition to books, lending everything from a fishing pole to a telescope, but also sponsors numerous cultural programs, including lectures, films, music performances, etc. From all directions, the library is an essential part of the Mattapoisett Community.

            As a former educator, teacher of English, and Head of School, I have always been closely associated with libraries, and now I am delighted and honored to participate in this extraordinary service, led by our talented Director and wonderful staff.

            I thank you for the opportunity I have had to serve, and I look forward to continuing this rewarding work.

Jennifer F. Shepley – Mattapoisett Library Trustees

            By running for Library Trustee in the hometown I love, I seek only to serve. I believe in public service. For me, our library is integral and necessary to the community.

            Who am I? I earned my master’s degree in Education and taught English and Gender Issues in public schools for eight years. I now work as a Certified Financial Planner in town, following in my father’s footsteps. Reach me online at Shepleyplanning.com.

            I served many years on the Friends of the Mattapoisett Library board. We raised funds to improve the library for all patrons. You may recognize me from book sales and other fundraisers. I enjoyed the relationship the FOML had with the librarian and with the library trustees.

            I want to continue the efforts to support the library and librarian for Mattapoisett by serving as trustee. Please vote. Every vote matters.

Elizabeth Sylvia – Mattapoisett Library Trustees

            I am currently running as a candidate for re-election to the Mattapoisett Library Board of Trustees. I have served on the board for three years and hold the role of board clerk. I was initially asked to run for the position by the former director Susan Pizzolato because of my family’s deep love for the Mattapoisett Library. Before the pandemic, rarely a week passed without our family visiting the library, often more than once! As a parent and an English teacher, children and youth programming are particularly important to me. Our library has a wonderful children’s department that draws families from surrounding communities, which is an important metric of a library’s vitality. I hope to continue working on maintaining youth engagement as children age so that today’s picture book readers become tomorrow’s “upstairs” patrons.

            As the world changes, the library’s role will continue to change. I hope to be able to continue supporting the library’s innovative programs and collections, like the STEAM kits and 3D printer, that create new ways for patrons to use the library, and I will continue to support the library’s commitment to collections diversity. Last year, at my suggestion, the library began a diversity audit; the picture books collection exceeded expectations for representing diversity, and the junior books collections are now working towards meeting that goal.

            Like every institution, the library has faced unexpected challenges in the past year. I’m proud of how well the new director worked to retain our community’s connection to the library, and as we move towards returning to “normal,” it is essential that the library continues to reach out and reengage with the community through a variety of means. I see meeting and exceeding pre-pandemic levels of community usage as the library’s single most important mission in the next year. Libraries are essential institutions of community literacy and civic engagement! Please support my candidacy so that I can continue supporting our wonderful library.

Editor’s note: The Wanderer invited candidates in contested races (more candidates than open seats) to write up to 350 words explaining their candidacy. Questions submitted by the League of Women Voters South Coast helped provide talking points for the candidates. Three candidates, including incumbent James Muse (chairman), are running for two open seats on the Mattapoisett School Committee. The entries are presented in alphabetical order:

Eric Beauregard – Mattapoisett School Committee

            I am Eric Beauregard, announcing my candidacy for Mattapoisett School Committee for a couple of important reasons. The 2020 global pandemic economically and emotionally strained every family, presenting our community with impactful challenges.

            Throughout the past year we learned which policies worked and which didn’t. The School Committee and Administration worked extremely hard last summer ensuring that our children maximized the opportunity to return for Academic Year 2021; it’s a thankless task that I will be the first to say thank you for all of your efforts. I am an advocate on mitigating identifiable risk and avoid being risk adverse because, if we are ever again confronted with a pandemic, we must be ready to keep our communities safe and functioning.

            I believe that with an elected seat on school committee I can offer attributes critical to the committee keeping our students and faculty strong, resourced and competitive using leadership, followership, andtrust. Yes, leadership is important providing purpose, motivation and direction; however, I value followership as critical element for the school committee that is often overlooked because followership welcomes new ideas, putting the needs of others before your own.

            A community builds trust from a common understanding that ultimately strengthens the culture of the School Committee and Administration. I believe that a candidate should also have a “common understanding” within the community beginning with children actively enrolled in the school system because it grounds elected leaders from a bottom-up approach as opposed to a top-down policy push through student and parent interaction. As our community finally postures for normalcy and the academic year nears completion, we need to keep in mind that we got here because of your sacrifices and contributions from a strong community, voicing your ideas, addressing your concerns, and I am eager to roll up my sleeves and get to work. I ask for your vote because the most important asset we have in this election is our children so please invest in our future.

            For more information visit Facebook; Eric Beauregard for Mattapoisett School Committee.

James Muse – Mattapoisett School Committee

            I have had the privilege of serving the citizens of Mattapoisett as a member of School Committee for nine years. My fellow members elected me as their chair for the last two years. In addition to serving on the Mattapoisett School Committee, I have been the committee’s designee to the Old Rochester Regional Committee for six years. I have served on the finance, contract negotiation, superintendent search and other subcommittees for both the district and elementary school boards. I served on the Elementary School Building Committee overseeing the schools’ reconstruction. I have been on the Board of Directors of the Southcoast YMCA for the past 20 years. I was a trustee at Southern New England School of Law for nine years until it became the UMass School of Law at Dartmouth.

            I am a candidate for re-election because I believe I have an obligation to support our community whenever and however I can. Community service is a family affair, I could not serve if not for the support of my wife and children. My wife and I are extremely grateful to the administrators, teachers, staff, and taxpayers of our town for giving our children a truly compassionate top-quality education. I hope to ensure that our current and future students have the same opportunities.

            This “Covid” year has been challenging to say the least. When our newly hired superintendent took over, he had to immediately hire almost a whole new team, including the assistant superintendent for Finance, assistant superintendent of Teaching and Learning as well as a director of Student Services. This team and all the teachers, administrators and staff, with the support of parents, town boards and officials, school councils and committees, developed a flexible plan that was thoughtfully modified and executed to provide a safe and equitable public education to all our children.

            I am proud to have supported our schools in these unprecedented times. If elected, I will draw on my personal experiences and institutional knowledge to help our school system deliver quality educational opportunities to every student in what we all hope will be less turbulent times.

Tiffini Reedy – Mattapoisett School Committee

            I was inspired to run for a seat on the Mattapoisett School Committee in part to advocate for and support increased mental health services and social and emotional learning supports in our schools.

            I’m a nurse practitioner certified in both primary care medicine and psychiatry across the lifespan. I practice in two busy outpatient clinics treating both children and adults. One thing I quickly learned during the COVID-19 pandemic is that mental health care has never been needed more.

            Our family decided to move to this beautiful seaside town nearly two years ago largely for the renowned school system. Currently, I have a daughter at Center School and a son who will join her in two short years. This year, I’ve attended all school committee meetings and am acutely aware of the roles, responsibilities, challenges and opportunities presented to committee members. As a parent of children in the elementary district for the next eight years, I also have a vested interest in our district’s attention to the whole child.

            I have clearly heard the importance of ensuring our schools provide healthy and welcoming environments for all children, families and employees, prioritize scaffolding/additional supports for children and teachers ‘post-pandemic’ with emphasis on social, emotional and learning supports, working with our school leaders to make processes associated with student services (IEPs and more) more transparent for students and families, ensuring our district is a thoughtful steward of taxpayer investments, and making sure all stakeholder voices are considered in town-wide capital planning efforts that will consider uses of our existing school buildings.

            I believe every child deserves an educational experience second to none. I believe in transparency and working together to create a better, brighter future. I trust in our dedicated educators and hope to support them, along with students and families, as we all continue to navigate these unprecedented waters. Any questions, please contact me at Tmm1119@gmail.com. I close by asking for your vote on Tuesday, May 18. With your support, I know tomorrow will be a better day for our children and families!

            The American Lobster is a classic coastal symbol of enormous national seafood environmental recognition steeped in history 400 years to the landing of the Pilgrims in Plymouth.

            Lobster had been so plentiful before then, the Mi‘kmaq natives easily found them along the water’s edge after a windstorm. They subsequently could be gathered by the plantation settlers for fertilizer and bait-fishing hooks or later fed to prisoners, slaves, and servants to the point that household help wrote into servitude contracts they could not be served shellfish more than twice a week.

            This environmental natural cornucopia of edible seafood grew to such proportion along the New England ports of call over the centuries, an industry was born that grew and changed the arts of nautical seagoing crafts that flourished and put nature’s most productive crustation on the colonial map.

            The nautical era of the lobster boat soon replaced the use of sailboats to reach distant productive shoals and deep waters, when outboard and inboard motors allowed fishermen to station boats above lucrative locations with ease of coming and going out of port, making the workday go faster and easier. Early lobster boats also had an open area of the hull where flowing saltwater could keep freshly caught lobsters alive and well.

            As technology advanced over the centuries, they decked out with radar depth sounders, location positioning, and radios for communication. This gradually made a very hard-working occupation of the sea-bitten laborers go somewhat faster and easier, but the industry itself remained hazardous and long suffering for, as they say, some went down to the sea in ships.

            Most modern lobster traps are factory-made of wood, covered with metal screens to consist of two main chambers, the kitchen and the parlor. The lobster first enters through funnel-shaped doors that lead to the kitchen where the bait is tied. Then it enters into the parlor with a smaller exit that permits only smaller and undersized ones to escape, leaving behind those of a larger, legal size to await their fate when the trap is pulled out of the water. Those big enough have two large claws, the largest a big tooth crusher for pulverizing shells, and the other a finer edged ripper for tearing soft flesh. They both appear in the market with rubber bands to protect the handler.

            The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission estimates for southern New England a severely depleted stock in the coming season. Our lobsters migrate, moving out to sea for colder water when necessary, and now already evacuated all the way to Maine, due primarily to global warming.

            The severe threat of environmental damage and flooding along our shores is more serious than we are aware of, but the exodus of a 400-year-old industry habitat of a historical way of life and means of occupation is noteworthy for the future and worthy of recognition now rather than after it is already too late to anticipate the consequences of such global proportion.

By George B. Emmons

Thanks to the generosity of the Marion Arts Center, the students and teachers of Sippican Elementary School were treated to a May 7 performance by the Toe Jam Puppet Band.

            With Tom Poitras on guitar and back-up vocals and Vinny Lovegrove as front man and master of hilarity, the Sippican lawn came to life with the children socially distanced in colorful seats under a tent with teachers standing by and joining in the fun.

            The Toe Jam Puppet Band is known for its rambunctious interactive musical games and kid-tested humor. For 2021, the shows have been modified to keep kids safe but actively dancing, moving, and laughing. Vinny also told the young audience about his special connection to Sippican School as the dad of a third grader.

            This was the first live performance to take place at Sippican School since the Old Rochester schools were closed in March of 2020.

            “We were touched and elated by the generosity of the MAC. This was a very special day for the children,” said Sippican School Principal Marla Sirois.

            Since Sippican reopened to full, in-person learning in early April, music instruction by Patty Richard has been ramping up and Instrumental Music teacher Hannah Moore conducts classes indoors and out. Moore has gotten the band back together with the hope that her students will soon return to marching in parades and playing their instruments for Marion audiences.