Compliance Leads to Approval for Pine Brook Lane Construction

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            Asked in a letter from an unnamed abutter to add a stormwater recharge system for roof runoff and the extension of a grass swale to direct stormwaters into that system, Kenneth and Catherine Wood did so and more, presenting revisions of their building plan to the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission in its July 13, remote access meeting.

            The result was a unanimous approval of their Notice of Intent to build a single-family house on the Pinebrook Lane cul-de-sac. 

            In the public hearing continued from June 22, David Davignon of Schneider, Davignon and Leone, Inc., representing the Woods, noted two key changes, the stormwater recharge system and extension of the grass swale, and secondly a proposed extension of the clearing limit to the property’s westerly boundary – basically the backyard, according to Davignon – as requested by abutters.

            “We’re happy to make those changes… looking to close the hearing tonight,” Davignon told ComCom.

            The commission took the opportunity to reiterate its contention that the historic groundwater issues are the apparent result of inadequate engineering and not the fault of the owners.

            ConCom Chairman Michael King asked Davignon if copies of the revised plans had been provided to abutters. Davignon explained that the sole request was answered with an invitation to pick up a copy at Schneider, Davignon and Leone, Inc., but that person had not followed through prior to Monday’s meeting.

            A Notice of Intent filed by Bruce Rocha Sr. for work at 13 Sea Marsh Way was continued after discussion. Rocha was represented by Stan Humphries from Environmental and Restoration Consulting LLC. As Humphries explained to the meeting, a 1,100 square-foot lot was previously approved with a negative determination of applicability in a February meeting of ConCom.

            Humphries proposed six activities inside 7,500 square feet of land, none on the beach and none in the saltmarsh. The proposed, single-family house will measure 1,400 square feet and stand on piles. There will be two driveways off the salt marsh with a flat area of concrete slab and a short ramp, water being directed into pervious part of the driveways. A lawn area 10 feet wide to the sideline lot boundaries and a 6-foot strip revegetated with salt-tolerance shrubs and grasses was also proposed.

            Citing FEMA regulations, King said he is not 100 percent convinced of the retaining walls and will need to conduct research to make sure retaining walls are permissible.

            After comments were invited from the audience – there were none – King told Humphries that, while approving RDAs on the night they are requested, NOIs are subject to continuance to ensure the public has time to digest and respond. Thusly, ConCom would like to have one meeting to continue, do research, and check on compliance and performance standards.

            Asked by Humphries, Davignon said, “My understanding is that the slab cannot be connected structurally to the concrete columns or the retaining walls to the ramp.” Davignon said Humphries plan “should be fine” but reiterated a need to review the matter.

            King told Humphries that approval of his plan will ultimately be up to the Building Department. The hearing was continued.

            A NOI filed by Dale Leavitt of Blue Stream Shellfish LLC proposing an oyster aquaculture requesting 50 acres at a former shellfish farm site was continued but very much welcomed by the commission.

            Citing his 22 years in the seafood industry in New Bedford and his own application for oyster farming in Mattapoisett, King told Leavitt, “I know that you have been jumping through a lot of hoops.” King also recognized Leavitt’s career at the University of Rhode Island helping other farmers.

            “I personally think you will make an excellent addition to this area,” said King. “As much as I would like to grant you an approval, I have to allow an extra meeting to allow the public comment… “All of us would like to be there for your first harvest with shucking knife in hand, and maybe some cold beverages.”

            The commission shared in the laugh and voted to continue the hearing to July 27, after which Leavitt made a point of thanking Mattapoisett Conservation Agent Elizabeth Leidhold for her assistance in the application process during a complex year affected at municipal, state and federal levels by the coronavirus pandemic.

            “We think it will have wonderful effect for the water of Buzzards Bay,” said King.

            Matthew Mulnansky was issued a negative Determination of Applicability and can now forge ahead with his plans to install an above-ground pool within 100 feet of wetlands in the backyard of his 123 North Street house. The 21-foot round pool will have a ladder.

            Leidhold’s only advice was to aim the discharge of the pool in a direction away from the wetlands to avoid chlorinated or salted water away from the wetlands. After hearing no public comments inside of the three-minute window, a motion was approved to issue a negative-three determination of applicability. Mulnansky also indicated he wants to work on an existing deck next year.

            Homeowner Scott Kruger was issued a negative-three determination of applicability for his beach cottage at 6 Pine Street, where he plans to expand the outdoor living and entertainment space including a new, 40×16-foot floating deck away from the existing home and rebuild a 12×16-foot shed that has water damage. The deck would be within 100 feet of wetlands.

            King said that coastal storm flowage would be the driving concern and that the town’s Building Department would be the agency to lend guidance. Kruger’s approval came with the condition of notice to the commission prior to construction.

            Certificates of compliance were issued to: Torwin Development at Shagbark Circle; David McIntire Jr. in the adjacent Shagbark Circle lot (subject to the requirement of an as-built plan); and to Mark Kwatcher at 22 Fieldstone for an extension of his back yard (subject to the requirement of an as-built plan including the fence).

            An RDA filed by William and Robin Snow for a 12-x12-foot shed and deck expansion at 1 Beach Street was continued to ConCom’s next meeting, July 27. A COC filed by Alexander Makkas at 16 Island View Avenue was continued to August 11. A request to amend an NOI filed by Jesse Davidson at 22 Pine Island Road was also continued.

            In her Conservation Agent’s report, Leidhold reported no response to an enforcement order from the owners at 42 Marion Road. King suggested ConCom member Dave Lawrence “get his feet wet” by visiting the property. Lawrence said he is happy to assist.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission is scheduled for July 27. Visit mattapoisett.net for further information.

Mattapoisett Conservation Commission

By Mick Colageo

Calling All Rochester Residents

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Whenever we at the Rochester Historical Society write an article, mount a display, or put a program we rely on the memoirs, diaries, letters, and books that were written in the past. Now that we have spent over four months with this pandemic, I wonder where the residents in 2070 or 2120 will get their information about living through the pandemic of 2020.

            We would love to have as many people who can, to write something about how life has been over the last few months. It can be a paragraph or many pages. Maybe write about the biggest changes or fears and concerns or strategies for coping or maybe the worst and the best (if any) of living through this historic time. We’re not looking for a journal (unless you want to send us one).  You can email your writing to eshbach2@aol.com or mail it to: Rochester Historical Society, P.O. Box 322, Rochester, MA 02770

Live Public Meetings Begin Anew

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            Tuesday afternoon’s Marion Board of Selectmen meeting was the Tri-Towns’ first public meeting to be held entirely in person since the governor’s March 12 order to shut down public buildings due to the coronavirus pandemic.

            On July 8, the Rochester Board of Selectmen held a hybrid meeting with members of the board, town administrator and town counsel in attendance, but with the media and the public linked via Zoom.

            Other Marion boards and committees, which typically have far greater than the three members of the Board of Selectmen, will henceforth use the Music Hall.

            Town Administrator Jay McGrail explained to the meeting that the Music Hall is set up to seat nine committee members at the table spaced at six feet apart and an additional 16 chairs for attendees. The Music Hall would be limited to one meeting per night unless they are scheduled at 4:00 pm and 8:00 pm, and in such a case a cleaning crew will sanitize the air-conditioned building in between meetings as it will after every use. 

            “Zoom is still an option for everybody,” said McGrail.

            Which method for meeting will be decided by each board and committee. Remote access public hearings have been challenging, and McGrail is confident that the Conservation Commission and the Zoning Board of Appeals is looking forward to meeting once again in person.

            “If things change and we have a spike in COVID (-19 cases), things go back,” cautioned McGrail.

            Tuesday’s Marion Board of Selectmen meeting, held at 3:00 pm at the Town House, began with action items presented by McGrail.

            The first of those was an acknowledgment that the board wishes not to reorganize for the FY21 year as it normally would following a town election. Instead, Randy Parker will remain chairperson, John Waterman vice chairperson, and Norm Hills clerk. Hills withstood challenges to his seats on both the Board of Selectmen and the Planning Board in the June 26 town election and will serve three more years on each.

            For the next year, the trio will also remain in its current liaison roles.

            Parker will remain parking clerk and school committee liaison and maintain membership on the following committees: Music Hall Advisory Committee; Community Preservation Committee; and Marion Pathways Committee.

            Waterman will remain with the Capital Improvement Planning Committee, the Southeastern Massachusetts Commuter Rail Task Force, the Parks/Tree Committee, and will continue serving as liaison to the Finance Committee, the ORR/Marion School Committee, the Department of Public Works, and the Police Union.

            Hills will continue in his roles with the Affordable Housing Trust, Buzzards Bay Action Committee, Plymouth County Advisory Board, the Clerical Union, and will remain Marion’s representative to CMWRRDD, SRPEDD, and JTPG.

            The board denied Tara Calabrese’s request to waive a sewer-connection fee.

            McGrail pointed out that, although Calabrese’s is a private sewer line, the sewer water winds up in Marion’s sewer water and it wouldn’t be prudent to waive fees at a time when the town is raising rates “so substantially.”

            Waterman said he always considered the hookup fee offsetting Infiltration/Inflow (INI) costs. “People need to understand this is not money we’re just putting away,” he said.

            Hills said this denial would necessitate a change in the sewer rules and regulations. McGrail said he will check on the matter. “From our perspective, she’s hooking up to our sewer, direct or not,” said McGrail.

            Hills said that the property’s septic dispute goes as far back as 1988 when the Marion Conservation Commission talked with the owners about its septic system and issued a rejection in 1994. Two years later, said Hills, the owners wanted to use the current lot to hook up and then, finally, the whole development. The late Ray Pickles, former town clerk, had written the owners a letter dated January 22, 1997, indicating they could hook up and also specifically identified the lot in question as one that should be hooked up. “And here we are in 2020, and this lot still has apparently never hooked up,” said Hills.

            The Board of Selectmen made two appointments on Tuesday. Meghan Davis will fill the vacancy created by retirement of David Pierce with her appointment to the Mattapoisett River Valley Water District, and the board appointed Helen Westergard to the Council on Aging.

            Meantime, the reappointment of members to committees and boards is being limited to those who have returned applications.

            The fate of the Bird Island Restoration Committee hangs in the balance after not having met since 2008. After discussion, McGrail said the matter will be added to the agenda for the next Board of Selectmen’s meeting.

            McGrail pitched a policy that he should be notified of all consultations with Town Counsel. Waterman clarified that this is for consulting purposes and not litigation, which requires select board approval.

            McGrail said the existing policy almost matches his proposal. “I have no way of controlling the budget if I don’t know what people are doing,” he said, noting the impending problems of being out of the loop as to what Town Counsel is working on.

            Before approval, Parker said he would like to take “a closer look” at the matter.

            “I feel strongly about what I’m saying,” said McGrail, noting that the Marion Open Space Acquisition Committee should have been included on his list of affected boards and committees.

            In his Town Administrator’s Report, Marion Town Party Committee canceled the event scheduled for August 22, 2020, but is hoping to bring it back in 2021. Parker noted his appreciation of the committee’s hard work.

            In other business, Water and Sewer commitments were approved in the amounts of $3,867.20 and $1,515.40, and the board authorized McGrail to sign the closing documents on sale of Marion’s property on Atlantis Drive. McGrail indicated he will meet with Parker and David Willett on Monday to talk about the DPW.

            A donation of $500 to Marion’s Fire Department from David and Victoria Croll was approved by the board, and the board also approved a $50 donation made by Heather Cotton and Heath Harriman in memory of Robert Zora.

            If Sippican Historical Society moves to make its donation for Town House improvements before the select board’s August 11 meeting, it will require a special meeting of the selectmen to accept the donation. Otherwise, the next meeting of the Marion Board of Selectmen is scheduled for Tuesday, August 11. The board will also meet that day in executive session.

            Waterman requested that parking regulations be put on the agenda.

Marion Board of Selectmen

By Mick Colageo

Three-Person Show Delights Soul with Elegance, Grace

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            Upon entering the Marion Art Center to view the newest exhibit VESSELS, there is a stillness, a calm, gentle quiet that seems to permeate the galleries. That is the essence of the exhibit that fills the delicate venue – elegance and grace.

            VESSELS, now through August 15, is a harmonious tripling of talent. Three regional artists working in three different mediums have come together for all to see the perfection of their chosen artform. Michael Pietragalla works in wood, Craig Coggeshall is a painter, and Hollis Engley is a potter and ceramicist. Each is a master of their medium.

            “I had the idea for the show for about three years,” said Pietragalla, explaining how the show came together. He pitched the concept of bringing two artists together with himself to the MAC with favorable results. Having known the painter and pottery for many decades, Pietragalla believed an exhibit displaying their pieces would work. Then everything came to a halt due to the pandemic – the world in suspended animation. Once the state and the local Board of Health approved the gallery’s reopening for public events, the show was finally realized.

            Pietragalla’s talent for creating pieces from wood shows his deep understanding of the natural material. A furniture maker and finish carpenter by trade, the artist uses exotic woods to create exquisite boxes from purple-heart wood, Birdseye maple, and other fine-grained woods. His influence for the boxes is Asian art, he said. While his furniture pieces are primarily California Mission style, the arts, and craft movement as embraced by the architects Greene and Greene also informs his works. “The brothers were getting their inspiration from Japanese arts.”

            The boxes or vessels in the exhibit have an exterior glow, not unlike lacquered Asian pieces with interiors that invite further examination. Lining the boxes in the exhibit, Pietragalla has used suede or woven leather that adds depth and texture to the pieces. While each container may be used as a vessel to hold precious items, they are in and of themselves precious. In the show the boxes, along with the paintings and pottery, have been placed into complementary groupings where each can stand on its own merit or be taken in as whole cloth.

            The life of an artist is often a difficult balance between earning a living wage and creating art. Pietragalla said, “I kept my head and hands in my classical training.” The artist graduated from the Swain School of Design in 1972 with a degree in fine art and attended the Massachusetts College of the Arts. He also taught photography during this period. Pietragalla has had a studio at the Hatch in New Bedford since 2001.

            Coggeshall’s life also required a balancing act between providing for his family and painting. The paintings that are part of this exhibit are all still-life, oil-on-canvas creations. They invite the viewer to wonder how the images related to his life or to theirs. Chairs of warm wood, possibly just sat upon, or a tablecloth recently found in a hidden drawer and unfolded just moments ago intrigue the mind and the eye. The folds in the cloth are a master’s work. There are muted tones and bursts of color that bounce off the surface with excitement.

            Of Coggeshall, Pietragalla said, “From the beginning I wanted Craig to be part of this show. I knew him from Swain.”

            Coggeshall’s themes of common inanimate objects such as wooden stools, tablecloths, bowls, vessels, and at least one surprising hula loop seem to mirror the tangible pieces of art created by Pietragalla and Engley, resting peacefully in the forefront of each grouping.

            Coggeshall studied at Swain, earning his degree with top honors in 1971. A resident of West Wareham, the artist has exhibited in a number of galleries throughout the Southcoast over the years, as well as the Duxbury Art Museum, Sherburne Gallery on Nantucket, and Donovan Gallery in Tiverton, Rhode Island. Coggeshall’s wife Kathy explained that at an early age her husband was expressing himself through art.

            “Craig is memory-challenged,” Kathy explained. There is hope that once established in their new residence, a spark will reignite creative desire in the artist once again. In the meantime, it is imperative that art lovers take the opportunity to see Coggeshall’s paintings and rejoice in the experience of having done so.

            Engley’s pots are nothing short of little miracles. The process of taking clay, nay mud, and creating pieces that hold something as essential as food is nearly as ancient as mankind itself. What we find in the pots and bowls currently on display is the result of the “dance of the flame.”

            A wood-fired kiln is used to create Engley’s pieces. He explained the days-long process by which teams must stoke the fire as it reaches its zenith around 2,400 degrees. He credits the laborious yet precise firing to the internationally renowned ceramicist Chris Gustin, who lives and works in Dartmouth. Gustin’s kiln is used by artists throughout the area who desire an authentically fired work of art versus commercial item.

            Engley said that the kiln has three chambers into which, with great care, as many as 1,000 pieces may be placed. The chambers are fired in sequence until the correct temperature is achieved. “It’s important for the glaze and the clay to mature at the right temperature.” Working in this centuries-old firing method known as “anagama” in Japanese, gives the finished works a tonality and texture not otherwise achieved with electric or gas kilns, he said.

            “Once everything is loaded the firing begins,” Engley said. “Wood is put in the firebox by as many as 20 people over eight-hour shifts around the clock.” Whereas other firing methods can be a solo operation, a wood-fired kiln is a community effort. Up to seven cords of wood may be consumed. Once the firing begins Engley stated, “You have to trust the kiln, the dance of the flame.”

            In preparation for the firing, artists have to plan their pottery production. They must create enough pots to fill their share of the kiln, thus timing becomes part of the process.

            In this exhibit, for the first time, Engley is exhibiting clay bridges beside his tea bowls. He said that over the winter he thought about ways to use clay by stretching the material, making sculptural works, “…getting out of the strict functionality of utilitarian pieces.”

            Engley said he appreciated being part of the show because “…people can spend their time with pieces in a contemplative setting.”

            Becoming a potter was not a straight road from college to the studio for Engley. Born and raised on Martha’s Vineyard, he graduated from Cape Cod Community College, later earning a degree in political science from Lycoming College, Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Engley has sold cameras, shingled roofs, delivered oil, been a reporter, and worked in a bakery, proving again that artists more often than not need to find employment beyond what their artistic talents can provide. After 30 years as a wire-service editor, Engley joined the Alexandria, Virginia-based The Art League’s clay program. The rest is history. Since 2015, he has lived and worked in Pocasset.

            To learn more about the exhibit VESSELS and when you may visit the only Tri-Town art show planned this season, visit marionartcenter.org. Beauty awaits.

By Marilou Newell

From the Files of the Rochester Historical Society

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I’m starting this article with a correction for last week’s article. The town of Hardwick is alive and well (my source was incorrect, sorry Hardwick).

            A couple of issues ago I wrote an article about Varella Corner. Lena Britto, the subject for this week was the granddaughter of Bernadino and Christina Varella who came to Rochester from Cape Verde. Lena was born in Rochester in 1921 and though her father and grandfather were hard workers, money was always tight.

            She attended school in both Rochester and Wareham, but left at the age of 15 before completing high school, so that she could join her older sister in Boston to work to earn money to help the family. Lena was one of the first women welders (think Rosie the Riveter) working at Boston area shipyards during WW II.

            After marrying in 1943, she was active in her community; involved in local politics, civic, and business organizations. An entrepreneur, she ran a beauty salon and also became a licensed real estate agent.

            In the 1980s, Lena went back to school evenings to earn her high school diploma and then enrolled at UMass Boston and graduated in three years at the age of 62 with a Bachelor of Science in Human Services.

            Lena went on to spend much of her time as a mentor to new immigrants from Cape Verde. She provided interpretive services and help with citizenship test prep. Through her human service work and work with Cape Verdean newcomers, she became acquainted with many Massachusetts politicians and was the unofficial goodwill ambassador between the United States and the new nation of Cape Verde.

            Lena wrote her memoir, Yankee Mericana: My Cape Verdean Odyssey which was published in 2002. She died in March of 2007 at the age of 86.

By Connie Eshbach

FinCom Breaks Four-Month Hiatus; Has Eyes on Town Meeting

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Mattapoisett’s Finance Committee met remotely on July 9 after a four-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

            In February 2020 they were just wrapping up meetings with department heads and school committees, retrospectively discussing 2019 expenses, revenues, hiring potentials, and all other matters related to the financial health and wellbeing of the community. Warrant articles were being crafted for the planned, annual town meeting, and pencils were being sharpened on expenses. Everything was moving along quite well for the running of the town’s business. Then on March 2, The Wanderer reported for the first time that clouds were forming on the horizon – COVID-19 was about to change life as it was known.

            Now, despite the rearview mirror and the view through the front windshield, both displaying yellow caution lights, the town’s business must move forward.

            Members of the Finance Committee meeting via remote meeting protocol were chairman Pat Donough, Paul Amoruso, Colby Rottler, Kevin Geraghty, and Gary Johnson. Also in attendance were Town Administrator Mike Lorenco and consultant Mike Gagne.

            Covering much of the same ground discussed with the Board of Selectman at their last meeting, Lorenco outlined the need to trim all expenditures not absolutely necessary, temper revenue expectations at the state and local levels, and plan on a town meeting warrant (date and time pending announcement) stripped to its bare bones.

            FinCom heard that, at the June 23 selectmen’s meeting, Town Meeting was postponed with the selectmen opting instead to wait and see how local and state revenues shake out before setting an FY21 budget. Lorenco said at that meeting, “Due to the uncertainty and a possible 20-percent decline in state funding, we wanted to take the time to look at receipts before making any assumptions.” He also said that, by postponing Town Meeting, better attendance might be achieved. He told the committee members that the state grants cities and towns the option of conducting the town’s business by using a one-twelfth formula based on the FY20 budget. The only additional spending, he said, would be for contractual, one-time payments that are due in July.

            The total July-only budget accepted by the selectmen on June 23 was approximately $2,473,000. This sum represents $192,372 general government, $406,044 ambulance payment, $151,657 highway contractual obligation, $42,882 human services, $56,593 contractual salary increases for library and recreation departments, $3,386 debt service, $1,618,451 Plymouth Country pension payment, and $1,950 intergovernmental assessment. Also approved were Enterprise Fund payments of $8,117 for the town landfill station, $608,042 Mattapoisett River Valley Water District, $614,695 for sewer treatment plant expenses, and seasonal increases for harbormaster staff expenses. The schools will also be operating on the one-twelfth plan with a July budget of approximately $1,210,000, Lorenco said.

            In its July 9 meeting, the Finance Committee voted to approve Reserve Fund transfers. Those transfers were $8,759 AC chiller unit town hall, $3,054 software upgrades, $5,819 library security-system control panel, $6,536 radiator replacement in fire apparatus, $9,560 professional search management services, $20,000 retirement- and vacation-accrued buy-backs, $2,194 landfill reporting services, and $12,025 River Road Dam assessment reporting.

            Good news came in the form of cost estimates on two large-ticket projects coming in under expectations – those were the new Fire Station currently under construction, and repairs to the Acushnet Road bridge.

            Shedding light on other savings, the FinCom members learned that the interior light-bulb replacement project was expected to save the town $17,458 annually spread across town hall, the police department, library, and highway department. It was also noted that local schools had also participated in the project with savings there as well.

            Lorenco said that the administration plans to present a budget to the Finance Committee on July 24 and that during the next selectmen’s meeting a date for Town Meeting will be discussed.

            Before adjournment, Lorenco said there were two candidates vying for open seats on the Finance Committee. Tom Kelley, a CPA who has worked in finance throughout his career, and Tyler Macallister, who has an MBA along with many years crafting budgets in his role as a selectman.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Finance Committee will be posted at mattapoisett.net.

Mattapoisett Finance Committee

By Marilou Newell

Rochester Senior Center

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The full monthly newsletter and calendar are available on our website www.rochestermaseniorcenter.com. Event information is also available on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/rochestercoa.

            Beginning Monday, July 13, the Rochester Senior Center will be offering Coffee & Conversation outside on the awning covered patio and on the lawn. This will be held every Monday and Friday from 9:00 am to 11:00 am, weather permitting. Seating is limited, so feel free to bring your own chair. Coffee, coffee condiments and food items (doughnuts and muffins) will be provided and are pre-packaged. Participants are welcome to bring their own coffee as well.  Donations are appreciated.  

            French Class will be held on July 16 and 23 from 10:00-11:30 am outside on the patio.  Pre-registration is required to participate.  Register by calling the COA at 508-763-8723.  This class is limited to 10 people.  

            The podiatrist will be holding appointments at the Senior Center on July 30 from 7:00 am to 2:00 pm. Appointments are made directly with the podiatrist’s office. Appointment holders should remain in their vehicles until called in by the doctor. The podiatrist will screen each person upon checking in. Appointments will be held on the patio or in the large banquet room. 

            COVID-19 guidelines will be in place for all activities and events held at the Rochester Senior Center; all participants must wear a face covering and maintain social distance of six feet from other participants. If you are not feeling well, or have any cold-like symptoms, please stay at home. Participants must sign a COA Waiver of Liability Agreement. At this time, activities and events held at the Rochester Senior Center are available for Rochester residents. People are asked to provide their own face covering. The Senior Center has a limited supply, in case you forget your own. The Senior Center will sanitize areas used regularly. Sanitizing wipes and hand sanitizer are available for use while visiting the Senior Center.

Academic Achievements

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Bryant University is dedicated to the pursuit, recognition, and celebration of academic excellence. The University is pleased to recognize the students who have been named to the Deans’ List for the spring 2020 semester including; Margaret Adams, class of 2023, from Mattapoisett; Alexandra Fluegel, class of 2023, from Mattapoisett; and Shaun Lavoie, class of 2020, from Mattapoisett.

            Bryant University is dedicated to the pursuit, recognition, and celebration of academic excellence. Margaret Adams, class of 2023, from Mattapoisett has been named to the President’s List for the spring 2020 semester. The President’s List is an academic distinction reserved for Bryant’s highest achievers who earn a GPA of 4.0 or better for at least 12 semester hours of work.

Tri-Town Athletes Impacted by UMass Dartmouth Cuts

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UMass Dartmouth rocked the Corsairs community to the core on July 1 when the Department of Athletics and Recreation announced eight intercollegiate athletic programs would be discontinued. Men’s golf, men’s lacrosse, women’s equestrian, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, co-ed sailing, and men’s and women’s tennis will no longer be offered as varsity sports at UMass Dartmouth, sidelining 94 student-athletes. Players found out about the cuts in an email.

            Among the players still coping with the university’s decision are four Tri-Town area natives: Mattapoisett’s Alexander le Gassick(men’s golf) and Sean Nutter (men’s tennis), as well as Marion’s Nick Rego (men’s lacrosse) and Bailey Sweet (sailing).

            “I actually logged onto social media and I found out that way, though friends’ (Instagram) stories,” Rego said. “I didn’t even notice the mail, really. Then I went on to read the email after, and it was just crazy to see in the email.”

            Oddly enough, Nutter was on a tennis court when he found out.

            “I was getting ready to play with my buddy and I had my phone in my pocket, I was getting ready to play and stuff,” he said. “Then, all of a sudden, my phone keeps ringing and ringing and ringing, and I see who it is. My boys were saying, ‘You see what happened?’ and ‘This is ridiculous.’ We had no warning, had no one that gave even an indication that this could happen. I check my UMass email and, sure thing, they cut (men’s) tennis, along with seven other programs.”

            The abrupt nature of UMass Dartmouth’s decision was unsettling to the affected students, but there’s another element that didn’t sit right with Rego.

            “In the email, it said something about how this was a move to kind of support other teams and help allocate assets to them,” he said. “Which I found sort of weird in a way, to say that some teams that were a little more important than others. I thought that everyone was happy with their experiences… The facilities could use a little bit of love, you could say. But it definitely isn’t something that nobody’s happy with. We have a beautiful turf field. We have a great staff group, as far as our team goes. I’m not sure about others, but I always hear great things. Everyone’s happy that they get to go and compete. It’s heartbreaking to have a bunch of teams and friends on other teams that aren’t going to get a chance to compete anymore.

            “It seems like there was no rhyme or reason, and it’s kind of confusing to me and a lot of my friends. It was a thing where — it was kind of a last-minute decision. They said they were planning to (cut those sports), but no one ever said anything. At other colleges, I’ve heard of teams being required to do fundraising and stuff like that to help their costs. We didn’t get any warning that this was going to happen until it happened.

            “We didn’t know that we were underfunded or anything like that, or that they were planning on changing things ahead of time. It just kind of hit us in the face, and we were left to pick it up when we found out. There was no way that we could have gathered a fundraising effort or done anything to help our cause.”

            Rego was also caught off-guard by UMass Dartmouth disclosing “this process before COVID-19 and is in no way related to the current health crisis.”

            Nutter already had doubts about the school year and the spring of 2021 before the announcement, having already lost his junior year to the pandemic. But he didn’t expect to lose his senior year to cancellations that, according to the university, had nothing to do with the pandemic.

            “Of course, I was shocked. I was taken aback,” Nutter said. “I was a little frustrated and disappointed. And I think I went immediately (thinking), ‘What are my teammates going to do?’ All the uncertainty for me going into my senior season. I was ready, obviously, for budgets being cut short by COVID. Then I thought about all my buddies who I dorm with at UMass, all of us seniors getting to our final season, and now we won’t have a final UMass season. That’s really disappointing.

            “After that, I thought about all the freshmen. They’re going to miss out on the experience that I had: being so close to home, having a good coach like Karsten (Rathlev) who’s such a good guy, knows the sport so well and is young enough so he can relate to us and relate to what we can go through every day as a student-athlete there. Now their tennis futures are up in the air, and I feel so bad because UMass was such a good option for them, and now who knows what’s going to happen to all those guys?”

            Rego and Nutter intend to finish their academic careers at UMass Dartmouth, despite these changes. However, this doesn’t mean their athletic careers are over as both are planning to go to graduate school, where they hope to use their final year of eligibility in their respective sports.

            “This (experience) has brought about a feeling, a yearning of playing another season of competitive tennis at the college level and, hopefully — who knows what I’ll do — but hopefully I’ll be able to play at least one more year in grad school, if time and (a) program permits it,” Nutter said.

Sports Roundup

By Nick Friar

Memorial School Center of Hybrid Meeting Format

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The Rochester Planning Board tested a new meeting format on July 14 with some participants located at the Rochester Memorial School and other members joining using the Zoom platform. Confusion surrounding voting procedure with the new format was quickly sorted out, and the board moved to address their public hearings.

            Eric Las of Beals and Thomas Engineering spoke about the updated plans for the construction of a solar array on Featherbed Lane, continued from a meeting held June 23. The amended plans came after an independent review of the project was provided by Field Engineering.

            Las explained that the updated plans feature improvements to stormwater and landscape maintenance plans. The improvements guarantee that all water will flow away from Featherbed Lane and into the site where systems are in place to effectively contain the stormwater. In addition, a bond amounting to $5,800 will be created in order to cover the costs of maintenance and landscaping related to the site.

            The maintenance will include selective trimming of trees to provide room for trucks driving along the access road to the site, and it will cover the cost of 10 proposed tree plantings to supplement the tree clearing that will be required to widen the entrance to the site. These additions were included after Field Engineering requested that a gravel access bench be included in the site plans in order to allow for proper vehicular access to the solar array.

            Las further explained that specific necessities of the project would require waivers from the board if the project could have any hope of moving forward. Primarily, the road to the solar site would need to be 12 feet wide in order to provide enough room for heavy equipment, exceeding the regulation calling for roads of that kind to measure a maximum of 10 feet wide.

            The Planning Board voted to waive the regulations and allow for progress on the site to continue, noting that Las had made the necessary changes according to their peer review.

            Las also represented another solar project located to the south of Featherbed Lane. The proposal calls for the construction of a solar site that would cover a total of 24 acres and produce roughly six megawatts of solar energy. The project dates back to March 10, and the enormity of the proposal has delayed the application process.

            Addressing concerns from abutting properties, Las made it clear that the construction of the array was set back far enough from Featherbed Lane to avoid view from the road. He also explained that the site would be accessed by an existing cart path, which would drastically minimize the amount of work and impact needed to finish the project.

            The board expressed caution. The proposal would require a total disturbance of 24 acres. Moreover, there are protected wetlands to the south and east of the property that would require a Notice of Intent filing with the Rochester Conservation Commission for permission to work in the buffer zone if the proposal were to continue.

            Las quickly quelled concerns by revealing that the majority of the work that needed to be done would be conducted in a large open area where minimal clearing would be required. Las, having worked extensively with Field Engineering, told the board that he is aware of the concerns put forth by the town and included many precautionary measures in the proposal such as tree plantings, significant setbacks from neighboring properties, and an angled entrance way, all to limit view of the solar site.

            Desiring more information than could be provided by plans and drawings, the board agreed that a visit to the proposed site and a peer review by Field Engineering is in order. The Rochester Planning Board voted to continue this hearing until July 28.

            The final order of business pertained to the construction of another solar array located on Snipatuit Road. The proposed site, to the east of the roadway, is somewhat novel in that it uses an existing access road that would bisect the site by running directly through it.

            Las, who also represented this site, explained that the proposal was off to a great start. The closest point of the site is over 1,000 feet away from Snipatuit Road, meaning that impact to abutting properties would be minimal.

            In terms of surrounding wetland areas, Las explained that the plans use the wetlands as guidelines for where the project will fall. The proposed site is oddly shaped in order to prevent any point of the site from falling into a protected wetlands area. That consideration paid off for Las, and the wetland boundaries have already been approved by the Rochester Conservation Commission.

            Vice Chairman Gary Florindo expressed concerns relating to the existing access that would be used. “My concern would be truck traffic to the site,” said Florindo. “You will have a good deal of tree cutting to do.”

            “At this point, we are expecting to have to make relatively minor upgrades to the roads,” Las explained. “Given that there have already been trucks in here in the past, we are not anticipating issues for them coming into the site.”

            Residents expressed concerns about an existing walking path and horse trail that runs parallel to the proposed site. The path is used by community members and many expressed concerns that the proposed plans did not account for the exiting trail.

            Las assured community members that the project planners were aware of the trail and that it would not be impacted by the new site. Las shared his computer screen via the Zoom app to demonstrate where the trail is located in relation to the site and to show that specific measures are taking place to ensure its continued existence.

            The Rochester Planning Board voted to continue the hearing until their next meeting on July 28. The next Rochester Planning Board meeting will be a hybrid meeting with in-person participation taking place at the Rochester Memorial School and virtual participation taking place via the Zoom platform.

Rochester Planning Board

By Matthew Donato