Mattapoisett as Mattapoiset

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To the Editor;

            A quotation in last week’s account of the Planning Board’s meeting about the proposed solar bylaw deserves my response.

            A town official is quoted, “We need to look at Mattapoisett as Mattapoisett and take a hard look at what we are planning, not killing possible revenue. Ninety-four percent of the town is residential, we need commercial development.”

            My response: “We need to look at Mattapoisett as Mattapoisett and take a hard look at what we are planning….”

            At one time, well over 30% of Mattapoisett was considered wetlands or hydric soil. What does the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture say that figure is today? Fifty-six years ago, Mattapoisett’s Master Plan recommended “Town conservation of all wetlands and drainage ways.” Over time, the next Master Plan and other agencies as well as Town Meeting have recommended the same. No favorable action.

            We are losing wetlands at an astonishing rate to development. This is something Mattapoisett cannot afford.

Brad Hathaway, Mattapoisett

The views expressed in the “Letters to the Editor” column are not necessarily those of The Wanderer, its staff or advertisers. The Wanderer will gladly accept any and all correspondence relating to timely and pertinent issues in the great Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester area, provided they include the author’s name, address and phone number for verification. We cannot publish anonymous, unsigned or unconfirmed submissions. The Wanderer reserves the right to edit, condense and otherwise alter submissions for purposes of clarity and/or spacing considerations. The Wanderer may choose to not run letters that thank businesses, and The Wanderer has the right to edit letters to omit business names. The Wanderer also reserves the right to deny publication of any submitted correspondence.

Upside-Down House Gets Special Permit

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The March 17 meeting of the Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals was short and sweet with just one case scheduled, and short and sweet is just what the property owners Michael Esposito and Cynthia Redel, 18 Ned’s Point Road, needed after a devasting fire consumed their large, seaside home on April 6, 2021. That property was the former location of the much-loved Silver Gull Inn, which had served as a summer retreat and dining venue for decades before being converted into a 9,000-square-foot private residence.

            Represented by architect Will Saltonstall of Marion, the couple sought a Special Permit to develop an adjacent lot that would feature an upside-down floorplan.

            Saltonstall said that the lot size was 12,000 square feet with 81 feet of frontage in the R30 zone. He said the original plan was to build a detached garage, for which they had previously received building permission, but now wished to develop the site with a structure that would feature a first-floor, three-stall garage and single-bay workshop with a one-bedroom residence on the second floor.

            The floor plan Saltonstall pointed to also showed a Cape Cottage aesthetic in keeping with the neighborhood and that the lot when first created in 1960 would not meet current setbacks but should be grandfathered and a Special Permit granted.

            The ZBA members were well pleased with the project with one member, Colby Rottler, inviting the couple to his home so he might show them the lift system he installed in his home, which is on stilts.

Another member called it a “nice project.”

            The vote unanimously approved the Special Permit.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals was not scheduled upon adjournment.

Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals

By Marilou Newell

From the Files of the Rochester Historical Society

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In her book,” Mattapoisett and Old Rochester,” Mary Hall Leonard cites a description of Rochester written by an anonymous author in 1815. Among the more detailed aspects of degrees of latitude and longitude, he writes about the town’s rivers, brooks and ponds. One of these is Merry’s Pond and he describes it as,” a round pond, a mile in diameter, of shallow waters in an open space near to the main road, has an entire margin of remarkably white sand which contrasted with the adjacent verdure, the rural hamlets and a smooth hill beyond in the distance, will detain the traveler a few moments”. The Merry’s Pond he describes is of course, today’s Mary’s Pond. One explanation of the earlier spelling is that a Mr. Merry at one time lived near the pond.

            The nearby road, prior to the mid -1800’s, would most likely be Bates Road which ran along the Sippican River and was the original route to Plymouth. Where today’s Mary’s Pond Road crosses the river was a major Native American trail that went from Sandwich to Rhode Island and was known as “the wading place.” The area where the road is today was swamp until Charles Leonard of Eastover paid to have wagonloads of fill dumped into the swamp in order to create a road leading directly to Rochester Center.

            Abraham Holmes in 1821 wrote his own descriptions of the town. Of Mary’s Pond, he wrote,” a most beautiful sheet of water and is nearly as round as a circle”. He explains that the pond had no inlet or outlet; contained a few minor species of fish and was 3/4 of a mile across. He also added that in mid-1800’s, the town spent $100 to cut a canal from the pond to the adjacent river in an attempt to encourage alewives to enter the pond. However, Holmes reports that the attempt was a failure.

            Mary’s Pond also played a role in the early settlers’ production of linen cloth. Flax was grown and its fibers were used to create the cloth. Flax fibers, however, were too tough to use until they were softened. This was accomplished by submerging the flax in water, weighing it down with rocks and leaving it there until it rotted. Mary’s Pond provided a perfect spot for this because it had a clear bottom.

            The pond we see today is still,” a beautiful sheet of water” (A. Holmes) and provides recreational opportunities: fishing, kayaking, canoeing, and during a cold enough winter, skating and hockey.

By Connie Eshbach

Septic Code Will Reflect Practice

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            There are two ways that the Marion Board of Health could revise its Septic Code: 1. Rewrite to rid the document of “Frankenstein” elements; 2. Write in a statement that if the state sets a different set of criteria for a leaching area besides Marion’s, the state’s criteria will take precedent.

            “There are a couple issues. … The goal is not to change anything actually being done but make it match more closely with what we do,” said Health Agent Ana Wimmer during the board’s March 17 public meeting.

            Board of Health Chairperson Dot Brown planned to send Wimmer recommended revisions with a plan to discuss them. Changes will require a public hearing, but Brown stressed there will not be a change in meaning, just making the matter clearer going forward.

            Board member Dr. Ed Hoffer also met informally with interested entrepreneurs on March 14 to garner input on dumpster regulations with a plan to bring the feedback to Wimmer, who marked up her copy of the proposed regulations based on public comments made at the last public hearing.

            In the matter of vegetation management, Wimmer told the board that she looked at all the wells and identified four, notifying Eversource, the state bureau of Herbicide Management and abutters. One had a drinking well and irrigation well, but another just irrigation, need to test for potability.

            Noting a recent case of misunderstanding, Wimmer said that any property within a public-water area must connect to the town water supply within three months of service availability, and any well on such a property must be limited in its use to irrigation.

            The board sought to clarify who enforces the regulation, noting that it is in the town code but not the sanitary code.

            Wimmer and Health Director/Nurse Lori Desmarais both have accounts to access the Barnstable County database. Wimmer said that four of the systems in the database are not nitrogen-removing.

            In her Health Agent’s Report, Wimmer told the board she sent letters addressing septic compliance to 664 Mill Street and 570 Front Street. She also received data for sampling from two properties just above the allowable threshold and two properties on Converse Road that are close to the threshold. There were to be resample tests this week.

            The board issued a Certificate of Compliance to 91A Allen’s Point Road. Two other addresses, 514 and 464 Front Street, are making progress, the 464 address to be inspected by the end of March.

            Desmarais gave her COVID-19 update. Marion has had a total of 1,167 cases, three of which were active as of the March 17 meeting and seven over the prior two weeks. In February, there were 40 cases, and midway through March there were 10.

            As of March 17, Old Rochester Regional High School had one person (staff or student) in quarantine but none in isolation (COVID positive) and 215 total cases since the start of the 2021-22 academic year. The same was the case at the junior high (98 cases for the school year,) while Sippican Elementary has two in quarantine, four positive cases in isolations and 148 for the academic year. Tabor Academy was on spring break until March 21.

            Beach signage was discussed where it concerns litter violations. The signs, which need to include permit and phone numbers, will be located at Silvershell, Planting Island, Island Wharf and Oakdale Avenue from the third week of June through Labor Day and will cost the town approximately $50 per sign.

            The board voted to pay an invoice reimbursing Wimmer $82 for her state Sanitation application fee.

            The board is planning to resume in-person public meetings but will wait until June. The next meeting of the Marion Board of Health is scheduled for Thursday, April 7, at 4:00 pm.

Marion Board of Health

By Mick Colageo

Employees to Get 3 Percent Raise

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               The Rochester Select Board is recommending a higher-than-ever, cost-of-living raise for all town employees in the next fiscal year in an attempt to keep employees from leaving the town workforce.

               On Monday night, the board proposed a 3-percent COLA increase for FY23, a move that in prior years yielded no more than a 2-percent raise.

               “I feel it’s time to reward the employees who have not gotten what they deserve yet,” Select Board Chairman Bradford Morse said. “And we feel 3 percent is a good start.”

               “This recommendation is good for employee retention,” added Town Counsel Blair Bailey. “A good move for the town.”

               The move was an immediate done-deal as far as Finance Committee Chairman Kris Stoltenberg was concerned. “I’m fine with everything you’ve just said,” responded Stoltenberg, who said he will now take the recommendation back to his committee, where it will likely be approved by that panel as well. The COLA raise will become part of the FY23 budget proposal to be put before voters in the May 23 Annual Town Meeting.

               “We are trying to keep up with inflation and what other communities pay,” Selectman Paul Ciaburri said in a later interview, “and show the employees we appreciate them. It’s been normally about a 2-percent raise for quite a few years now.”

               “It’s because we were not keeping up with inflation’s rising costs in past years in their compensation,” Town Administrator Suzanne Szyndlar added.

               In a related move Monday night, Szyndlar informed the board that a draft of the Town Meeting warrant is ready for the members’ review and that Zoning Board articles will be added to it by April 4. The Select Board’s formal warrant review will be held on April 25. The warrant will be signed on May 2 to be posted on May 3.

               In a joint decision with the Board of Health, the Select Board approved lifting the mask mandate at the Council on Aging Senior Center with the condition that the boards make it easy to go back to a mask requirement later on if necessary.

               The Select Board unanimously granted the COA’s request for a mask mandate at the center on Dexter Lane on December 20, 2021. Prior to that date, the COA had been posting a sign encouraging people to wear masks.

               Selectman Woody Hartley urged special conditions for Monday night’s vote saying, “Who knows where we’ll be six months from now? Can we allow them to make their next decision without them coming to us?”

               Bailey said the board cannot grant the COA the “unilateral authority” to change the decision on its own. The Select Board and the Board of Health agreed to make any reversal of the mask decision “subject to board ratification” at the Select Board’s next regular meeting.

               In other business, the Select Board learned from Szyndlar that assessors are working to set the next fiscal year’s tax rate by October 28; Szyndlar said this means the fall Special Town Meeting will need to be held in late October as well.

               The next meeting of the Rochester Select Board is scheduled for Monday, April 4, at 6:00 pm.

Rochester Select Board

By Michael J. DeCicco

DPW Open House & “Pre-Town Meeting” Meeting

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The Town of Marion invites residents to attend two upcoming events.

            On Saturday, April 9 at 10 am the Town will hold an Open House at the Dept. of Public Works Facility on Route 6. We will offer a tour of the buildings at the site and showcase the proposed plans for a new Dept. of Public Works Facility to be located on Benson Brook Road.

            On Wednesday, April 27 at 6 pm via Zoom, the Marion Select Board will be hosting a “Pre-Town Meeting” Meeting. The Annual Town Meeting Warrant will be reviewed in detail. The Select Board encourages residents to attend and ask any questions they may have on the Warrant. This meeting will be taped by ORCTV. For access to attend the remote meeting, please contact Donna Hemphill at dhemphill@marionma.gov or 508-748-3520.

Albert R. Rivet

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Albert R. Rivet beloved husband of Elizabeth (Lanagan) Rivet and son of the late Normand and Yvonne (Lague) Rivet transitioned peacefully from this life to the next in the presence of his family at home on March 24, 2022.

            He was born on January 17, 1947 in New Bedford, Massachusetts. He was the proud father of eight daughters and one son. They and their spouses are Anne and Kevin Weaver of Wilmington Delaware, Kathryn Marshall of Assonet, Martha and Douglas Lally of Marion, Elizabeth and Dr. Neil Oliveira of Mattapoisett, Margaret and Major Daniel J. Callahan USA of Assonet, Maureen and Christopher Desmarais of Dartmouth, Sarah and Caleb Morgan of Marion, Michael Rivet and fiancé Cady Kerin of Montpelier Vermont, and Mary and Peter Mello of Rochester. Survivors also include his siblings Norma Scott and her husband James of Jupiter Florida, Captain Leonard Rivet USN and Dr. Roberta Rivet of Viera Florida, and Denise Tetreault and her husband Denis of Acushnet. Albert was blessed with a large, loving family including 31 grandchildren whom he loved so dearly. His greatest pleasure was spending time with all of them and teaching them about faith in God and finding joy in the simple things in life.

            He had a strong commitment to living a life of service beginning with service to his country as an SP4 Military Police Officer then began his career of 25 years of service to the Massachusetts State Police where he served along side his beloved brother and sister troopers and took pride in serving the people of the commonwealth.

            Albert attended Bristol Community College and continued his education at Roger Williams University where he earned a BS degree in Criminal Justice. A lifelong learner, he continued his studies at Salve Regina University and earned a master’s degree in Criminal Justice.

            More recently, Albert continued to serve his community as an entrepreneur and educator to the real estate community in specialty of Title 5 and septic preservation.

            Albert and his wife Elizabeth devoted their lives to their church community where they served in programs such as Emmaus, Cursillo, Birth Right, prison ministry, eucharist ministry and pro-life community and co-sponsor of RCIA. His greatest desire was to pass this on to his children and grandchildren to share God’s greatest gift which is Love . His favorite motto was “Who can I help today?”

            His Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Thursday March 31, 2022 at 10 am at St. John Neumann Church, 157 Middleboro Rd. East Freetown. His family has requested that the public meet directly at church. Visiting hours will be held on Wednesday, March 30, 2022 from 2-8 pm at Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home For Funerals 50 County Rd. Mattapoisett. Relatives and friends are cordially invited to attend. In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be made in his memory to Beat the Beast Foundation https://www.facebook.com/momweav/, Community Nurse Home Care 62 Center St. Fairhaven, MA 02719 and Birthright of New Bedford 110 Summer St. New Bedford, MA 02740. For directions and guestbook, visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

Stephen Arthur Cook

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Stephen Arthur Cook, a.k.a. Cookie, peacefully drew his last breath on a glorious spring morning.

            Cookie’s focus and passion was his family. He will be missed by his wife Diane of 50 years, his 3 children, Douglas S. Cook and his wife Monika of Jackson, WY, Danielle Cook Kawash and her husband Sameer of Santa Cruz, CA, and Alissa Cook Robertson and her husband Keith of Jericho, VT; 3 grandchildren, Lucia, Mateo and Samuele; 2 brothers, Bradford Cook of Kingston and Otisfield, ME and Robert Cook of Norfolk and Otisfield, ME; several nieces, nephews and cousins.

            He was a dedicated teacher at Westport High School where he wove learning and comedy into an enticing experience, even for the most disinterested students. In spite of his 5-foot 4-inch stature, Cookie had an enormous presence that filled rooms with laughter and love. He had a way of making those he interacted with feel loved, important, and interesting.

            His friendship will be missed by many. In the final season of his life, he was adored by his harem of caregivers who spent hours laughing and talking with “their favorite patient”. Although he is physically gone from this earth, Cookie has left the world just a little better than he arrived – a world with more laughter, and a few more people who know the meaning of family, friendship, love, and respect.

            Services will be held at a later date.

            In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to CCALS, P.O. Box 1052, West Falmouth, MA 02574 or on-line at: https://ccals.org/donate/

            Arrangements by Chapman Funerals & Cremations – Wareham. To leave a message of condolence, please visit: www.chapmanfuneral.com

The MAC Theater Announces Open Auditions

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The Marion Art Center Theater announces open auditions for the upcoming production of select one acts from the humorous collection All in the Timing by playwright David Ives. Auditions will be held at the Marion Art Center on Saturday, April 2 from 10:00 am-12:00 pm and on Sunday, April 3 from 1:00-3:00 pm. The MAC is located at 80 Pleasant Street in Marion. Only fully-vaccinated actors will be considered for roles. Please wear a mask while inside the Marion Art Center.

            Selected one acts include Words, Words, Words (directed by Shelia McManus) which recalls the philosophical adage that three monkeys typing into infinity will sooner or later produce Hamlet and asks: What would monkeys talk about at their typewriters? The Philadelphia (directed by Linda Costa) which presents two friends in a restaurant who have fallen into “a Philadelphia,” a Twilight Zone-like state in which they cannot get anything they ask for; Sure Thing (directed by Donn Tyler) where two people meet in a café and find their way through a conversational minefield as an offstage bell interrupts their false starts, gaffes, and faux pas on the way to falling in love; and Variations on the Death of Trotsky (directed by Kate Fishman) which shows us the Russian revolutionary on the day of his demise, desperately trying to cope with the mountain-climber’s axe he’s discovered in his head.

            Directors will cast up to a total of eleven actors of any age or gender, and some doubling of parts may occur across one-act plays. Rehearsal times and dates will be determined by directors (in collaboration with actors) after cast is selected. Performances are scheduled outdoors in Bicentennial Park (across the street from the Marion Art Center) June 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 17 and 18. For more information, visit marionartcenter.org/auditions.

Town Meeting Vote to Guide Future of DPW

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            With an eye geared toward the May 9 Town Meeting, the Marion Finance Committee reviewed PowerPoint presentations on both the proposed Marine Center and new Department of Public Works facility during its March 16 meeting.

            The two projects will appear as articles on the warrant for the May 9 Annual Town Meeting and were part of a long list of warrant articles approved by the committee.

            Total estimated cost of constructing a new DPW as designed by Saltonstall Architects for Benson Brook Road is $4,456,155.

            “Not like the harbor building, this affects these people’s taxes, this is an override,” said Town Administrator Jay McGrail before Finance Committee Chairman Shay Assad reminded him that the town plans to offset $1,500,000 of the cost from its free-cash account.

            Marion will be looking to borrow approximately $3,000,000 to complete the project now three years in the works.

            “Given that we’re putting that (free cash) down, the burden on the town won’t be as big as it could be from a debt-service point of view,” said Assad, also cautioning against undue delay that could make the inevitable more expensive.

            Select Board member John Waterman said that the reason the town sold its Atlantis Drive facility was with this scenario in mind.

            Getting the townspeople on board is another matter.

            “My concern is that this hasn’t received a lot of publicity and that people really don’t know about it,” said McGrail, who estimates that a dozen people attended the open house held last fall at both the existing DPW location and the proposed location for a new facility.

            There is another open house in the works for Saturday, April 9, at 10:00 am, beginning with a guided tour of the dilapidated DPW facilities followed by a visit to the proposed site for its replacement near the Wastewater Treatment Plant off Benson Brook Road.

            The town will also hold an informational Zoom meeting on April 27 to preview the May 9 Annual Town Meeting with a focus on the proposed DPW project.

            FinCom member Jay Pateakos suggested using ORCTV to film on the site of the existing DPW to make taxpayers aware of the conditions. McGrail feels that the project will sell itself to anyone who visits the current facility at the Highway Department garage on Route 6, where old, shack storage buildings sit that years ago were moved onto the site.

            “The buildings on the right need to be condemned. … The guys eat their lunch in their trucks because they don’t want any sort of varmint,” said McGrail, noting that the facility fails both operational needs and OSHA standards. “The long-term plan is to demolish all the buildings on the right.”

            As it is, Marion cannot properly wash its equipment or keep equipment out of the weather and preserve its value.

            FinCom member Margie Baldwin called the current DPW “hazardous to the employees” and urged the town to make the citizens understand that the facility is out of compliance.

            Once the new site opens on Benson Brook, the larger buildings on the left at the Highway Department can be cleaned up and used for projects, according to McGrail.

            Marion’s MS4 permit requires covered salt storage, which will be part of the new facility across Route 6. Fuel storage and salt storage would move to the new location, and open areas will be used for boat parking and event parking.

            Waterman said that Wayne Mattson and architect Will Saltonstall have designed a new facility that he described as “utilitarian, but it meets the needs.”

            McGrail said Marion’s proposal is probably only a quarter of the cost of the average DPW facility being built in Massachusetts municipalities. At $191,825, the town has built what he called “a real heavy contingency” accounting for 5 percent of the total cost.

            In answer to FinCom member Peter Winters, Finance Director Judy Mooney explained that the town’s $1,500,000, free-cash contribution to the DPW project will be paid up front and, according to McGrail, applied to construction costs. The debt would come online in FY24.

            There was no new information in McGrail’s PowerPoint on the Harbormaster Marine Center, but in reviewing the project history he reminded the committee that the September 2020 feasibility study resulted in negative feedback and ultimately a sleeker approach. The amended design’s main objective, said McGrail, was to “right-size the building,”

            An April 2021 updated design included breakaway walls so that a rush of water could pass through and not threaten the upper level of the building where the Harbormaster Department offices would be located. A lift elevator will make the new building handicap accessible.

            The prior design had bathrooms on the upper level, but those were cut from the project in favor of renovation of the existing ground-level restrooms.

            The cost estimate for the Marine Center, including a 5 percent, soft-cost contingency, is $2,879,463. Having put in $75,000 as its design-grant match, Marion is looking to borrow $700,000 to cover its share of the construction.

            The remainder of the construction funding will be, the town hopes, the result of two $1,000,000 grant applications (in addition to the $300,000 granted by the state’s Seaport Economic Council.)

            In the event Marion does not receive the second $1,000,000 grant, McGrail and Harbormaster Isaac Perry have spent time looking over other potential grant-funding opportunities, so far identifying two alternatives.

            “Honestly, we’ve been very up front with (the Seaport Economic Council,) they know our plan,” said McGrail, who said Marion is not the first town to make the two applications (the SEC has a $1,000,000 grant cap per application but not per project.

            Debt service, expected at $50,000 to $60,000 per year, will be entirely funded by the Waterways Account. McGrail expects that harbor-related fees should not be impacted.

            Catalyst Architecture has already designed harbormaster headquarters for several other regional communities with assistance from the SEC. The uncertainty lies in the end of Governor Baker’s term, which could spell the end of the SEC. Construction is projected for the fall of 2023.

            The original design intended to move administrative staff to the Marine Center, but that support has been located at the Town House while also serving the town clerk on a half-time basis.

            FinCom member Bill Marvel sought clarification to Town Meeting vote on $775,000 in town funding for the grant match.

            “If it comes back to Town Meeting, that means we did very poorly,” said McGrail.

            Below is a summary of the more significant warrant articles that were put before the Finance Committee on March 16: 1. sets the salaries for the assessor, Select Board and Board of Health members, and town moderator (no changed from FY22); 2. the FY23 operating budget at $24,701,737, up almost $1,000,000 from the FY22 figure of $23,837,721; 3. Water Enterprise Fund at $2,376,050; 4. Sewer Enterprise Fund at $3,522,210; 9. General and Water Enterprise funds at $1,897,007 (capital projects); 10. DPW facility; 11. Marine Center; and 12. placeholder for Marion’s portion of Mattapoisett River Valley Water District filter upgrade at $720,000 (not to impact FY23).

            The committee held off on voting on Articles 10 and 11 because they were still under the review of bond counsel for the sake of accurate verbiage. The committee planned to vote on those articles during its March 23 meeting.

            Neither the Community Preservation Act funds vetted by the town’s Community Preservation Committee nor the nonfinancial articles traditionally fall into the purview of the Finance Committee.

            The committee did vote to recommend the transfer of $2,000 from the Chester A. Vose Fund for the reduction of taxes.

            McGrail told the committee that the Select Board will vote against the recommendation of Article 38, which asks voters if they will accept Village Drive and Fieldstone Lane as public ways.

            “This will cost money, this will have financial impact,” said Mooney.

            Long-term costs, said McGrail, will affect taxpayers because of maintenance hardships.

            The Finance Committee was scheduled to meet next on March 23.

Marion Finance Committee

By Mick Colageo