The Rochester Planning Board Tuesday night approved the waivers required for the owners of the “Arch at the Meadow” performance and event venue to change their layout.

            Owners Glenn L. Lawrence and Laurie Whitney-Lawrence wish simply to move their driveway to their home lot, instead of its current location, in order to straddle the business and home lots.

            But even that required the Planning panel to waive the need to address four town regulations in order for the Lawrences to move forward with their proposal: stormwater-protection regulations, the bylaw section on landscaping regulations and the rules for parking and lighting.

            Before motioning to approve the section on parking, Planning Board Chairman Arnold Johnson said a condition needs to be included that will ensure the petitioner will return to the board if ever he or she plans to pave any surface there.

            Before motioning endorsement of the lighting section waiver, Johnson said further lighting plans would also have to come before the board for approval. He then noted the project’s final draft approval would be ready for the board’s next meeting on September 27.

            The Planning Board also endorsed the Buzzards Bay Coalition’s progress on its project on Marion Road. The panel approved the Notice of Work permit to clear street trees there as part of the coalition’s Scenic Roadway permit application, after the coalition representative reported the agency had both removed and replanted trees there.

            The Planning Board recently complained that around two years ago, the coalition had cut trees on 55 acres that it owned on Marion Road without allowing the board to review the project details. What has been done since on the property now owned by Elliot Farms, LLC is an improvement, board member Michael Murphy admitted at the time. “But documentation to us is still needed,” he said.

            Next, the board voted to conduct a site visit of the Clearway Energy Corporation solar project at 453 Rounseville Road because of construction-work progress. They will meet at the site on Tuesday, October 4, at 4:30 pm.

            The next meeting of the Rochester Planning Board is scheduled for Tuesday, September 27, at 7:00 pm at Old Colony Regional Vocational-Technical High School library and by Zoom.

Rochester Planning Board

By Michael J. DeCicco

            While the Mattapoisett School Committee was eager during Monday night’s public meeting to share in the same positivity pervading the Old Rochester Regional School District at large, the potential consolidation of school building lurks as the UMass Boston Collins Center carries out its study.

            Committee Chairperson Carly Lavin and ORR Superintendent of Schools Mike Nelson met with Collins Center representatives on September 8 in what was called an “initial project-oversight team meeting.” Nelson said school-side stakeholders achieved agreements on communications, data sources and impact and also agreed to meet regularly, the next meeting scheduled for October 6.

            The next steps will include site visits in September and October with town-side and school side representatives. It is anticipated that the Collins Center will finalize its report in April 2023.

            “It’s a very aggressive timeline,” said Lavin, who at the same time was pleased with Nelson’s summary. The school district is pushing for two opportunities for the school committee’s participation, one in the evening and one during the day.

            Later in the meeting while giving her first Chairperson’s Report, Lavin told the committee she appreciates the participation of Town Administrator Mike Lorenco and also Chuck McCullough, who filled in for Select Board Chairman Tyler Macallister.

            While many messages indicate district-wide teachers and administrators are happy to be back in school, ORR Director of Student Services Craig Davidson said that for many, school never closed.

            Davidson reported that over 200 students participated in ORR’s SAIL summer learning program, for which he publicly thanked coordinators Charlie West and Kyle Letendre. A summer enrichment program that piggybacked on the SAIL program with afternoon opportunities was attended by 100 other students.

            High school students played a key role in the success of the program, especially as the younger participants sought out the high schoolers as role models and leaders. “The most rewarding part of this program,” said Davidson, was that it brought the community together. “We didn’t want summer to end so we applied for another grant and ran a second Acceleration Academy,” he added. The Acceleration Academy focused on literacy for younger students up through Grade 4.

            In all, ORR’s summer of 2022 saw seven weeks of programming facilitated by 136 staff members, 115 of which are current educators in the Tri-Towns or high school students. “Some actually joined us after the summer so it was truly a rewarding summer,” said Davidson.

            The committee’s Open Comment session near the end of the public meeting yielded two impassioned remarks, one from within the committee and one from without.

            Committee member Jim Muse reported that this summer, after a decade of advocacy at the state house, Massachusetts higher education laws were amended to open up state colleges and universities to students with intellectual disabilities or autism.

            Before the Massachusetts Inclusive Concurrent Enrollment Initiative (MAICEI) grant program, explained Muse, unless someone was in a grant program, a student between ages 18 and 22 with an intellectual disability or autism who did not pass MCAS testing and did not receive a high school diploma was prohibited from even auditing in the state educational system.

            The change in the law has been codified and barriers removed. As a result, students with disabilities will be able to participate as nonmatriculating students and participate in extracurricular aspects of campus life.

            “I can’t tell you what a big deal this is,” said Muse, who said that for the first time in the state and “hopefully” as a trend-setting law that could expand across the country, “individuals with disabilities and autism will be able to be life-long learners. This is something that can definitely be on their horizon. … This is a great event for education as a whole.”

            The second comment came from Tom Kearns, 8 Fairview Drive, who told the committee he was looking for a town with antiracial, antibullying policies when he moved his family to Mattapoisett.

            “We believe everyone has a right to exist in a nontoxic atmosphere,” said Kearns.

            Despite the ORR administration’s antiracism policy, resolution and subcommittee, life for students is not without reminders of the past. Kearns told the committee that last school year his daughter ran into some bullying problems, and only three days into the new school year, his son was targeted by racial slurs.

            “I just think we have to do better as a community. Racism is alive and well, so instead of playing whack-a-mole on a case-by-case basis, we need (stricter policies that take the judgment out of the hands of teachers,)” said Kearns, stressing that the vast majority of students conduct themselves as if they have excellent role models. The outliers, he suggests, learn racism. “They’re not born to be racists, they’re taught this. There has to be a clear set of rules.

            “I lost a daughter to this a few years back so I have a personal vested interest. If X, Y and Z happen, your parents are going to get involved.”

            Kearns suggested that bus monitors be positioned midway down the aisle of the seating area, the end game being zero tolerance for racist behavior under the watch of the school system. Kearns readily admits the efforts can only be effective where the message has teeth. “It’s just in this school system, it shouldn’t be allowed,” he said. “It’s a small population … doing this. The educators are great; this should not be put on them.”

            The committee voted to approve changes made in the Student Handbook that serves both Center and Old Hammondtown elementary schools. Changes are accessible on the district and schools’ websites, but Old Hammondtown Principal Kevin Tavares said he would make sure parents seeking a copy of the Student Handbook could get one.

            The committee voted unanimously to approve three donations from the Mattapoisett Parent-Teachers Association and the plan for a student run to support improvements in athletic facilities on school grounds.

            The PTA donated $1,745.63 to replace the unsafe surface under the swings at Old Hammondtown, $1,137.21 fix a loose and rusty staircase and $3,000 for new backboards and rims and new paint for the basket supports at the basketball court.

            The PTA is also hosting an October 18 Fun Run fundraiser event to be simultaneously held for K-6 runners at both Center and Old Hammondtown. Funds raised will pay for playground safety improvements, help defray the cost of field trips and provide programs for enrichment.

            New staff was recognized, including new Center School Principal Linda Ashley, along with three teachers, Jillian Lakey (halftime reading), Allison Dunn (halftime Remedial Math) and Grade 5 teacher Jocelyn Mare. They will help replace Principal Rose Bowman, halftime-reading teacher Diane Lizotte, halftime math teacher Patricia Cooney, reading teacher Holly Maloof and Paraprofessional Teresa Camara. Two teachers transferred: Carolyn Pawlishen from Grade 4 teacher to reading teacher and Kristen Sunde from Grade 5 to Grade 4.

            Pre-school screening will be held on Oct 25 for district-wide families at Rochester Memorial School.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett School Committee is scheduled for Monday, November 14, and the next meeting of the Joint School Committee is scheduled for Thursday, September 29. Both meetings are to begin at 6:30 pm.

Mattapoisett School Committee

By Mick Colageo

            The owner of property at 28 Pitcher Street sent a letter to Marion Health Director Lori Desmarais summarizing repairs and improved conditions, but acting Health Agent Bob Ethier told the Marion Board of Health during its September 8 public meeting at the Police Station that the project has fallen three weeks off the prescribed pace.

            Ethier reported to board members Dr. John Howard and Dr. Ed Hoffer that the letter declared that the roof of the house has been patched, is weather-tight and has been covered to prevent wildlife from gaining entry.

            The letter further stated that temporary repairs to the eaves were expected to be completed within a day and that permanent repairs would be made once it is officially determined that the house is free and impervious to pests.

            A pest-control company was to work at the property on September 12, and the owner said in his letter that the town would be provided with a receipt for those services along with before-and-after photos. Landscaping, the letter stated, was not progressing at the prescribed pace but could, once the pest removal is complete.

            Nonetheless, Ethier visited the address and reported a lack of progress. He said the proposed remediation schedule was off by three weeks as of the board’s September 8 meeting, and he recommended the owner be ordered to appear before the Board of Health.

            “Based on his past, we’re not getting anywhere,” said Ethier. “When people come before the board, there’s a different response.” The board authorized Ethier to order the owner to appear at the board’s next meeting on September 22.

            Ethier said it was more of the same at 33 Pitcher Street, where vehicles are still on the property, and the yard has not been cleaned up. Ethier told the owner’s attorney that the situation is at the point where fines will be imposed. “She wants to build a house, and you’ve got to at least clean up what you’ve got first,” summarized Ethier.

            “We’ve been more than patient,” said Hoffer.

            Howard suggested sending a certified letter to the owner’s attorney ordering an appearance. Ethier said the attorney seems as frustrated as the town is. “I told him we can’t keep doing this,” said Ethier.

            The couple that inherited the property at 278 Converse Road told Ethier they want to build a new house and asked if they can wait on the septic situation until those plans are enacted. Ethier said the Town of Marion requested but has not received evidence of a contract between the owner and a company to pump out the cesspool. The owner, said Ethier, was reportedly told that the company told the owner there has never been any danger of sewerage overflowing.

            Ethier said that the animal hoarding case at 464 Front Street seems to be resolved for the most part, but gaining access to confirm conditions has been elusive. The owner has granted access to other officials with whom Ethier visits but not to him.

            “I need to get in the house; I need to make sure the property is getting cleaned up. … I don’t need anybody to go with us,” he said. “It’s like a police matter in some ways.”

            Getting information has become difficult in the case of 1121 Point Road, where Ethier will need to seek foreclosure attorneys at Wareham District Court.

            The noncompliance issue at Little Neck Village area inside the dumpster is clean and locked.

            A denitrification septic system in the yard at 570 Front Street has been grown over and is not being used or maintained, according to Ethier. Sewer, he learned, is available to the owner.

            In her Public Health Director Update, Public Health Nurse Lori Desmarais told the board that there were 15 COVID-19 cases in August, and by September 8, there had been 12 cases reported this month. Both Sippican School and Tabor Academy require symptomatic testing this school year, but Sippican is seeking permission to test in school and thusly limited to a test-at-home program for now.

            Tabor Academy held a flu-vaccine clinic on September 4 that distributed 148 shots.

            Marion will hold its flu vaccination clinic on Thursday, September 29, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm at the Cushing Community Center. A tent canopy for the drive-through is expected to go up at the site by the end of this week.

            Desmarais said she would be working the Marion clinic with EMS personnel and has reached out to UMass Dartmouth. “It looks like they’ll have some students to help us out also,” said Desmarais.

            A smaller clinic has been scheduled for Thursday, October 6, in the community room at Little Neck Village.

            Given the discovery of a mosquito carrying the EEE virus, Desmarais said Marion’s health risk has increased from low to moderate.

            Interviews for a new Board of Health member will be conducted in joint session with the Select Board at the latter’s next regularly scheduled public meeting on Tuesday, September 27, at 5:00 pm. Alvin Johnson, Mary Nelson and Tina McMichael have applied to serve the duration of the term vacated this year by Dot Brown and will be interviewed. A joint vote of the Select Board and the Board of Health is planned for October 4.

            The next meeting of the Marion Board of Health is scheduled for Thursday, September 22, at 4:00 pm.

Marion Board of Health

By Mick Colageo