Banged-up Bulldogs Start on Track

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The first meet of Old Rochester Regional’s indoor track-and-field season came on December 18 when ORR’s boys team defeated Fairhaven, 58-28, at Greater New Bedford Voc-Tech. However, the week leading up to the season opener was a rollercoaster, particularly for the boys team.

            On December 12, a few members of the team competed at the MSTCA Winterfest meet in Boston where top hurdler Tyler Trudeau suffered a hamstring injury. From there, more team members began dropping off the active list due to illness and injury. On the day of the opener, ORR’s boys were without six key runners, including distance runner Tyler Young and star 300 and 600-meter runner Colby Gross.

            The loss of Young was expected to be especially impactful against Fairhaven’s distance-based team, but the Bulldogs had little difficulty defeating the Blue Devils.

            The Bulldogs won their first event with freshman Calder Eaton placing first in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 9.8 seconds. From there, Leo Schiappa picked up wins for Old Rochester in the 55 dash (6.8) and 300 meters (40.9,) while Teddy Carroll won the 600 (1:41.4,) John Kassabian took first in the high jump (5 feet, 4 inches) and Murray Copps put on an impressive performance when he won the 2 mile (11:21.8.)

            ORR’s girls team also had some impressive performances on their way to an 80-6 victory. Alexia Gonsalves and Corrine Robert won the 1 mile and 2 mile with times of 6:14 and 14:25 respectively. Jen Williams dominated all competition in the 55 hurdles (8.5) and high jump (5-0.. Perhaps the most impressive performance came from freshman Audrey Thomas, who came in first place in the dash (7.9) and 300 meters (47.7,) edging out Williams in the latter race. Also coming in first place were Cameran Weaver (600, 1:58.5,) Madeline Dugas (1,000, 3:47) and Taylor Greene (shot put, 29-4.)

            The meet was capped off by the 4×400 meter relays. Seekonk and Apponequet were competing in their own dual meet at the same time and took part in the event at the same time as ORR and Fairhaven.

            ORR’s girls team consisting of Weaver, Aubrey Heise, Scarlet Patnaude and Liz Feeney put on an impressive performance, defeating all three opposing teams. The boys team had Kassabian, Carroll, Sam Balsis and Matthew Curry, and the crowd erupted as they too pulled off a dominant win.

            The Bulldogs will next face Somerset Berkley on Thursday, December 23, at GNBVT.

Boys Basketball

            The Bulldogs opened their season with two wins last week. The first came on December 14 at Wareham High School, where they beat the host Vikings 77-65. After ORR dominated the first half, Wareham came back strong in the second half, bringing what was at one point a 25-point lead in favor of the Bulldogs down to 5. However, ORR was able to hold off their South Coast Conference rival to come away with the win. Steve Morrell led the Bulldogs with a game-high 22 points, and Sawyer Fox scored 20.

            The Bulldogs further improved their record to 2-0 on December 18 when they dominated Martha’s Vineyard 73-29 in Mattapoisett. ORR hosted GNBVT on Tuesday night. They host Wareham on Tuesday, December 28, at 6:30 pm.

Girls Basketball

            The Lady Bulldogs improved to 2-0 with a 36-31 win against Falmouth on December 17. Maddie Wright led the Bulldogs with 15 points, while Logan Fernandes contributed another 10 points. ORR visited GNBVT on Tuesday. They visit Wareham on Tuesday, December 28, at 1:30 pm.

Girls Hockey

            ORR’s girls hockey team raised its record to 2-1 after a 5-4 win over East/West Bridgewater on December 19, but the next night fell back to .500 with a 9-2 loss to Whitman-Hanson/Silver Lake. In the victory over the Bridgewater coop, Kellan Geake hit the back of the net twice while Liz Kilpatrick had two assists. Ryann Tripp scored the winning goal. The Bulldogs hosted Dennis-Yarmouth on Wednesday and on Monday, December 27 are scheduled to visit Bishop Stang in a 3:00 pm faceoff at Hetland Memorial rink in New Bedford.

Sports Roundup

By Matthew Curry

Rochester Historical Society Concert

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Those who attended the holiday concert at the Rochester Historical Society Museum were treated to an entertaining hour of Christmas music played masterfully by organist Bruce Gardzina as he brought the mid-1800’s organ to life. The day had a timeless feel as the sun streamed through the stained glass in the church/museum built in 1857. In addition to playing, Bruce explained some of the steps needed to play this relatively rare organ and also made adjustments for some of the old reeds that were damaged or missing.

            The Historical Society has had some basic repairs done, but we would love to be able to bring it back to its previous glory. A vocalion organ is a form of a reed organ, but it produces the music somewhat differently. The sales material that accompanied the organ when it was donated to the Church in the late 1800’s explains that in this type of instrument the reeds vibrate in the same way as the human throat and that when the organ is played it mimics a chorus of singers.

            After the concert, everyone adjourned downstairs for mulled cider, a variety of desserts and good conversation. The attendees brought enough unwrapped gifts to brighten many children’s holiday.

Randall Lane Solar Clears ZBA

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            On December 16 the Special Permit requested by Randall Lane Solar LLC cleared its last remaining government hurdle: approval from the Zoning Board of Appeals.

            Coming before the ZBA on this night was Caroline Booth of Beals and Thomas, the applicants’ representative. Also in attendance were Bill Madden of G.A.F. Engineering and Attorney James Marsh. Madden and Marsh were representing abutters Veronica and Chris Brockwell.

            Booth’s opening remarks briefly outlined the proposed solar array, some 27 acres carved out of 88 acres privately owned. She explained that a vast majority of the acres in play have been previously disturbed by agricultural activities and logging. The areas logged, Booth said, would be returned to Chapter 61 lands upon the completion of the decades-long rental agreement between the solar developer and the property owners.

            Other highlights of Booth’s presentation included mention of a 1741 farmhouse, the remains of which are located on the site in an area not planned to be part of the solar field, improvements to an existing roadway into the site, battery containers designed to contain hazardous chemicals, a reduction in the original size of the solar array in consideration of flood-plain mapping, 24-7 remote monitoring of the site once operation and training of local first responders in the event of an equipment failure and associated emergency necessitating their assistance.

            Booth also said that most of the staging of materials and equipment will be used off-site and smaller transport vehicles used on site, along with police details to ensure ease to local traffic and adherence to a commitment that the historic stone bridge over the Mattapoisett River at River Road would not be used by the construction teams.

            Regarding the status of applications before the Planning Board for site-plan review and the Conservation Commission for the Wetlands Protection Act, Booth said both permitting entities were in the process of preparing orders of conditions.

            The project is planned for an area identified as the Mattapoisett River Aquifer District. Booth said that when the Mattapoisett River Valley Water District Commission, the multitown agency which represents the towns of Fairhaven, Rochester, Mattapoisett and Marion in matters related to freshwater sources in the region was approached for its comments on the project, its response was, “the project would have no impact.”

            The ZBA was ready to close the public hearing when Madden and Marsh asked to be heard.

            Marsh began by stating that the proposed solar project is not allowed under the bylaws governing rural residential uses. “If it’s not allowed, it can’t be allowed. … It can’t be allowed for commercial use in the aquifer district,” he said. Marsh stated that transformers and other equipment would contain petroleum products and that the town had specifically created an “overlay district to protect drinking water.” Marsh added, “You want to protect the people in the town.”

            Madden’s comments echoed for the most part those articulated by Marsh. “Transformers usually contain oil-based chemicals. Usually there are secondary containments,” Madden said. He went on to say that requests of the applicants for more details on containment plans and the chemical composition of liquids that would be inside batteries and transformers had not been forthcoming from the developer.

“These are serious elements being added to the aquifer.”

            Booth countered that battery storage on site is a requirement, that there are containment features and that everything being placed on equipment pads would be contained in units she described as “giant shipping containers.” She went on to tell the ZBA members, “This project may not be built for two years. If there are advances or upgrades, those will be used.”

            Marsh told the ZBA, “I don’t think you guys can make an informed decision” in the absence of technical documentation.

            But the ZBA thought otherwise.

            The board’s members were united in the decision, adding wording that a Special Permit would be granted if the Planning Board and Conservation Commission conditioned the project and if secondary containment was used, that hours of construction operation were spelled out, that road improvements were complete and that a sign be placed at the site with a telephone number in the event it becomes necessary to contact maintenance personnel.

            Madden and Marsh did not indicate that an appeal by their client would be filed.

            Also receiving requested special permits were Edwin Sargent, 3 Oakland Way, for the construction of an addition to an existing home and Daniel Kaukas, 3 Hamlin Road, for the reconstruction of an existing porch.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals will be scheduled for Thursday, January 20, at 6:00 pm if there are cases to be heard.

Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals

By Marilou Newell

First Responders

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To the Editor;

            Kudos to the first responders!

            I owe my survival to the Mattapoisett Police Emergency Medical Service, staffed by paramedics and police officers trained to assist. After I suffered a near fatal aortic tear, they arrived on the scene in minutes, provided Advanced Life Support and rushed me to St. Luke’s Hospital Emergency Room where doctors assessed the situation and sent me immediately to Boston for emergency cardiac surgery, which was followed by a week of medically-induced coma and two weeks of inpatient rehab. Without these First Responders, I could not have written a chapbook of poems chronicling my unexpected recovery. The collection has just been published, December 2021, by Lily Poetry Review Books.

            Robbie Gamble RN and poet, says of the book: “With precise language and deep self-awareness, Margot Wizansky writes her way through the aftermath of a near-fatal medical emergency that left her in a week-long coma and months of gradual rehabilitation. Her poems thoughtfully consider her family’s stunned love in crisis…the careful dance of redefining intimacy with her husband as her body and mind return to her…”

Margot Wizansky, 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.

OR Senior Amaya McLeod Recognized

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Superintendent Michael S. Nelson and Old Rochester Regional High School Principal Mike Devoll are pleased to announce that senior Amaya McLeod has been presented with the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents (M.A.S.S.) Award of Academic Excellence on December 8.

            “Amaya is an exceptional student and role model within our school community who is confident, independent and compassionate,” Principal Devoll said. “She shows a desire to learn and thrives in many of our most rigorous classes, and is a valuable member and leader in several of our school organizations. She is very deserving of this award and is an excellent representation of the students, leaders and citizens that we work to develop at ORRHS.”

            The M.A.S.S. Award of Academic Excellence is presented by the superintendent to a deserving student in each school district throughout Massachusetts. To be considered for the award, the student must be a member of the senior class with a cumulative GPA that places them in the top fifth percentile of their class. The nominee must also consistently demonstrate traits of leadership, social responsibility, respect for their fellow students and involvement in various aspects of the school community.

            McLeod has been recognized for her academic success, dedication to school organizations and leadership roles and community service.

            McLeod has taken several high-level classes, holds a 4.5 GPA and is currently second in the class rank. She has been recognized for her academic achievement many times, receiving academic excellence awards in AP Chemistry, Honors Precalculus, U.S. History and many more subjects. She is also a National Merit Semi-Finalist.

            McLeod has been a member of the Student Council since her freshman year and currently serves as president of the Executive Board. She also serves as co-president of the Environmental Club and is a member of CORE (Creating Old Rochester Environment) as well as participates in many other school activities.

            Last school year, she was nominated by faculty to represent the school at the American Legion Girls’ State conference. She has additionally received a Presidential Service Award in recognition of her community service hours.

            “Amaya has many impressive achievements as a student within our schools and consistently demonstrates character and integrity,” Superintendent Nelson said. “She was a clear choice for this recognition, and I am pleased to recognize her as this year’s recipient.”

James Michael McCarthy, Jr.

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James Michael McCarthy, Jr., 74, of Mattapoisett died peacefully at home on December 20, 2021 following a hard-fought battle against pancreatic cancer.

            Born at St. Luke’s Hospital on February 25, 1947, Jim spent much of his youth in Louisiana and Florida before returning to New Bedford in his high school years. He lived the rest of his life in the New Bedford area, which he loved for its history, people, culture, and connection to the sea. From 1976 until his death, Jim resided in Mattapoisett with his beloved wife Mary Louise (Griffith) in a home he built himself and where they lovingly raised their three sons Daniel Patrick, Michael Patrick, and James Michael III.

            Generous and kind, Jim possessed a reserved demeanor that often belied his considerable talents. A skilled musician who helped put himself through college performing in a wedding band, Jim also achieved success as a freelance journalist and screenwriter. Later in life he took up portraiture and found great joy in the talented Deborah Macy’s Tuesday night painting classes at Greater New Bedford Regional Voc-Tech. Jim was always open to new experiences and challenges and he leaves his family with numerous cherished “dad” memories like the time he ran the Boston Marathon without telling anyone because he didn’t want to make a fuss.

            Jim gave freely of himself to his family and his community, and sought to support local artists, performers, and institutions whenever he could. He cherished the years he participated in the St. Anthony’s Parish Choir and memories of the times in the early 1980’s when he joined other parents to help grow Mariner Youth Soccer. He believed – despite considerable evidence to the contrary – that he had perfected the design of the ideal Mattapoisett River Race boat.

            A graduate of New Bedford High School, Jim secured a Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Southeastern Massachusetts Technical Institute (UMass-Dartmouth) in 1968 and soon thereafter found himself with the opportunity of a lifetime working as a young engineer on the lunar module. Following that exhilarating experience Jim secured a Master’s degree in journalism from Boston University and took a position working on submarines with the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Newport, Rhode Island where he would make significant contributions for the next 31 years and forge deep and lasting friendships.

            Predeceased by his father James McCarthy, Sr. and mother Rose (Walsh) McCarthy, Jim is survived by a sister Maureen of Mattapoisett in addition to his wife and partner of 52 years Mary Louise; his sons and daughters-in-law, Dan and Charis McCarthy of Raynham, MA, Mike and Holly McCarthy of Great Falls, VA, and Jay and Chelsey McCarthy of Weston, WV; and his three beautiful granddaughters Quinn, Eleanor, and Josephine.

            His Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Friday December 31, 2021 at 10 am at St. Anthony’s Church in Mattapoisett. Visitation will be held on Thursday December 30, 2021 from 4-7 pm at the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd, Route 6, Mattapoisett. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to Gifts to Give, www.giftstogive.org, 1 Titleist Drive, Acushnet, MA 02743. For online condolence book, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

Walter ‘Wally’ Henry Trumbull

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Walter ‘Wally’ Henry Trumbull passed away in his home in Santa Monica surrounded by his family on December 11, 2021 at the age of 96. We are all so grateful to have had so much time with him and for his generous and positive spirit. He was born in Boston and grew up in Weston, MA, and returned regularly to the East Coast to visit. He loved family and friends deeply and his favorite places: Santa Monica, Marion, Mattapoisett, Mountain Lake, Maui, Rosarito Beach, Pietrasanta, and Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc. It was a challenge keeping up with him! He always had a trip planned and someone to see.

            He was passionate about the company/ies he started and ran for over fifty-seven years, Electro-Mech Components and Switch-Luz. They were his beloved other family. Wally leaves a legacy to the ‘maquiladora’ sector as one of the forerunners of the export industry in Mexico.

            An athlete as a young man, he played football and ice hockey for Middlesex and Harvard, and later ice hockey for the University of Geneva. He was a good tennis player and taught all his children the game. He  remained fit until he died: “onwards and upwards.” He was inducted into the Middlesex Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015.

            Wally entered Harvard University in 1942. His studies were interrupted by his time spent serving as a commissioned officer in the United States Navy in the Pacific Theater during World War II. After the war, Wally returned to Harvard and completed his undergraduate degree in 1946.

            After returning from Geneva he matriculated at the Harvard School of Business 1947-1949. Upon graduation, he worked for the Gillette Company in Boston in its razor blade division. It was during that time he visited Gillette manufacturing operations in Puerto Rico that he learned of the advantages of offshore manufacturing that he would develop later on in Tijuana, Mexico.

            Wally and Betsey had their three older children in Boston, then moved to Santa Monica in 1956 where the three younger children were born. They both later commented that it was a big move to California, but ultimately a wise move.  Wally continued working at Gillette until the early 1960’s then struck off on his own with several startups: Transformer Engineers, Pendar Company, and ultimately Electro-Mech and Switch-Luz.

His first wife Betsey predeceased him and he leaves six children: Lea Trumbull Ferris and her husband Bill and children Ben, Willea and Jojo and their families; Hope Trumbull Woodhead and her husband George and children Robert, Janet, Vern and Walt and their families; Margaret Trumbull Nash and her husband Michael; Robin Trumbull Tolan and her husband John and their children Liz, Jack and Maggie and their families; Terry Trumbull and his wife Valerie and their children Ginny and Hank; Coco Trumbull Mueller and her husband Kirk and their children Paige and Will, and their families.  He has taught ten great-grandchildren how to play backgammon. He leaves his wife, Helen (Lenkie), and her children Leigh, Mac (deceased), Eliza (deceased), Don, Peter, and their families. He believed deeply in education and came from a long-line of educators. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Middlesex School in honor of Wally Trumbull ‘42 (1400 Lowell Road, Concord, MA 01742; https://www.mxschool.edu/alumni/make-a-gift/) Celebration(s) of Life will be scheduled both in California and Massachusetts at a later date.

He Sees Beauty in Found Objects

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            John Middleton has been collecting the flotsam and jetsam he’s come across over years of beach combing. Each piece carried home simply because it could not be left behind to an unknown fate even if he wasn’t sure how he might use that broken bit of signage or weathered, water-soaked chunk of driftwood.

            These were gifts from an ocean that no longer wanted them bobbing about. Once carried to the tide line, someone came along, someone who thought, “There’s a story.”

            Middleton is that someone, but his own journey is one that speaks to a life ever evolving, ever changing like sea glass polished over and over again.

            Originally from San Francisco, Middleton grew up in Kansas City. He studied at the University of Kansas where he received bachelor degrees in English and History. Later he earned a PhD from Indiana University. His dissertation was on Moby Dick.

            Middleton’s first professional act was that of a professor of English at Georgia State University specializing in American Literature. He has also received a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

            For his second act, Middleton pursued a career in sales and marketing. Upon retiring from the business world, he stepped into his third act, earning a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth.

            Middleton has always collected materials from beaches wherever he goes. Those objects became very important to him once he began to see them as potential pieces of art and embarked on his fourth act, an artist using the medium of found objects to create stunning and thought-provoking works.

            On his website, Middleton notes, “Time, tides, wind, storms, marine organisms and sun transform objects … in ways that can render them strange and beautiful.” The changes sustained by wood, glass or metal that has been submerged in ocean waters leaves the materials “scraped and scoured into new forms that obscure their original history.” Where nature leaves off, Middleton begins to give those found objects their new lives.

            When we caught up with Middleton at his home in Mattapoisett, he had just returned from installing a number of his pieces in that Mattapoisett Library for a one-man show now on display through mid-January. We asked him about the creative process that he said was rather complex, but he did offer, “I see how pieces align, and I focus on some of the details that punctuate the pieces.”

            Using glue, screws and other affixing materials, individual pieces like a new type of puzzle are pulled together by Middleton into something altogether different from the original intent.

            Middleton said that he does occasionally add a touch of paint or other objects “to underscore and focus attention” on specific features, but overall the finished work is made from materials left in their found state. “Mechanical skills are critical to the joinery of objects in a completed work,” he added.

            At his studio located in the Hatch Street Studios in New Bedford, home to numerous visual artists of all stripes, Middleton creates his own kind of magic: transforming, rearranging, creating beauty that emerges from an eye that sees what lies within.

            Other locations where Middleton’s work has been exhibited include the Marion Art Center, Bromfield Gallery in Boston, Shattuck Gallery in Westport, the Falmouth Artists Guild and the Mattapoisett Museum.

            One final note: Middleton credits the much-loved novel Moby Dick for bringing him to this area. No doubt, Melville would be pleased.

By Marilou Newell

ConCom Closes Four Cases

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            In a case continued from November 17, Jonathan and Jennifer Alexander’s Notice of Intent for a proposed house addition and deck expansion at 24 Brook Haven Lane was reopened and discussed, ending with a vote to issue an Order of Conditions during the December 8 meeting of the Marion Conservation Commission.

            The commission had checked on the site with a state wetlands circuit rider. Conservation Agent Doug Guey-Lee sought definition of some ambiguous terms in the proposal including “redevelopment standard” and “degraded,” noting that the membership’s disposition hinged on the definition of the ambiguous terms.

            Representing the Alexanders, engineer Dave Davignon gave an overview of his revisions to the site plan, after which Chairman Shaun Walsh outlined four proposed conditions. Guey-Lee said the commission would like to achieve a level of specificity in plant selection for the site but noted that comes with the risk of the plant not taking. “There’s an argument for any kind of native plant there. … It’s hard to get it wrong,” he said.

            Walsh gave the commissioners two options: to either close the case and vote to include broadly worded language requirements of plantings or to ask the applicant for a more robust planting plan in the mitigation area and continue the case to January 22.

            Davignon suggested adding a condition that the applicant provide the commission a landscaper-informed set of plans when the time comes. “Then we’re all on the same page,” he said. Walsh approved of that approach and at the end of the lengthy meeting shaped an Order of Conditions that the commissioners voted to approve.

            In a case continued from November 17, ConCom member Marc Bellanger recommended issuing Samuel and Theresa Barrington an Order of Conditions with numerous added conditions for their proposed septic system repair and drainage improvements at 28 West Drive.

            A few ConCom members visited the site the weekend before the meeting, and Walsh said the site is low and in the velocity zone, bringing coastal-storm flowage, 100 foot buffer zone to coastal leach and coastal bank into the deliberation that preceded Bellanger’s motion.

            After Davignon spoke to several anticipated questions from the commission, Walsh suggested closing the public hearing rather than continuing the case and asking Davignon for stormwater calculations, namely the volume that the proposed system will handle. “It sounds like Dave’s given this quite a bit of thought,” said Walsh.

            ConCom voted the Barringtons an Order of Conditions.

            In a case continued from November 17, the commission issued a Negative Box 3 Determination of Applicability filed by The 95 Allen’s Point Road Realty Trust for a proposed leaching area and cellar drain at that address.

            Representing the applicant, Davignon described the project as a tear-down and rebuild of a home with a 29-foot elevation at the crest with multitiered hillside to the seawall, the primary coastal bank.

            In a case continued from November 17, the Marion Lands Trust was issued an Order of Conditions for a proposed driveway at 371 Wareham Street.

            In a case continued from November 17, John and Pamela Lees’ NOI for reconstruction of a single-family home, construction of an inground swimming pool and a seawall at 49 Water Street was continued to January 12.

            Under Action Items, ConCom issued a Certificate of Compliance to David Croll for beach nourishment that never commenced at 10 Lewis Street. No future work will be allowed under the file.

            The commission also issued a Certificate of Compliance to Jeff Doubrava for beach nourishment that never commenced at 47 East Avenue. Being the vice chairman of the commission, Doubrava recused himself as a member for the case. ConCom added a continuing condition limiting the site 5 cubic yards of sand annually as needed only above the high-water mark of the existing beach.

            Abutting the Doubrava property at 51 East Avenue, albeit in a smaller area, the Certificate of Compliance requested by John Whittemore was conditioned continually by a limit of 2 cubic yards of sand annually as needed only above the high-water mark of the existing beach.

            The Kittansett Club’s request for extension of a permit at 11 Point Road was withdrawn due to an existing permit through September 2023.

            Asked for comments to the ZBA in the case of Dustan McGlinn at 176 Wareham Street, ConCom determined no jurisdiction.

            Asked for comments to the ZBA in the case of Mark McKenzie for a proposed subdivision at Nos. 3 and 12 Taunton Avenue. There is land subject to coastal storm flowage but with no work proposed ConCom offered no comment.

            Walsh reported to the commission the December 3 resignation of member Cynthia Callow, who will focus her efforts on the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals, where she serves as chairperson. “She has a lot on her plate,” said Walsh, who acknowledged Callow’s work with the commission and her sense of humor as well.

            Asked if he would like to become a full, voting member, associate commissioner Emil Assing indicated interest but said he wanted to understand better what it would entail before committing.

            In other business, the commission voted to pay Sabatia (Bob Gray’s consultation) a $3,000 bill for peer-review work done in the Paliotta case. The money was supplied by the applicant.

            The Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions served notice of a small dues increase for Fiscal Year 2023.

            The commission was scheduled to reconvene on December 22. It will next meet on Wednesday, January 12, 2022, at 7:00 pm.

Marion Conservation Commission

By Mick Colageo

Randall Lane Solar Passes Site-Plan Review

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The December 20 meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board found the members united on an application for site-plan review filed by Randall Lane Solar LLC for a 22-acre solar array.

            Originally filed approximately one year ago, the project team headed by Eric Las of Beals and Thomas were tasked with satisfying concerns of possible freshwater contamination, construction within a designated wetlands, use of a rural dirt lane for construction vehicles and fears that an historic stone bridge might be negatively impacted by large transport vehicles, to list a few. On this night all those concerns and more would be laid to rest.

            Leading up to their decision were previous meetings that covered issues related to containment of toxic chemicals in the event of a leak. Caroline Booth of Beals and Thomas had represented the property owners during the December 16 ZBA hearing for a Special Permit requested for the project. She once again confirmed that transformers and batteries associated with electrical transmission and storage are, in fact, enclosed in containment units that looked like “shipping containers.” The ZBA granted the Special Permit contingent upon approvals from the Planning Board and the Conservation Commission.

            Las was asked when construction might begin. He responded that it could take up to two years before actual construction might begin. He said the interconnection to the Eversource electrical grid has not been scheduled, but that it is normal for the long timeline given that local approvals were needed before the project would be considered by the utility.

            When it came to confirming that all Planning Board questions had been fully aired and responded to, Chairman Tom Tucker asked for and received a motion to approve a draft decision accepting the site-plan review. The vote was unanimous.

            However, the developers and project teams are not done with the Planning Board just yet. A request for creation of a subdivision at the project site is pending. The acreage in question is jointly owned by members of the extended Randall family, who have agreed to assign a large swath of land in the area of the project to permanent conservation restriction.

            In other business, the Planning Board approved a Form A, Approval Not Required (ANR) application filed by Chase Wingate for property located at 42 River Road.

            Continued to January 3 is a roadway project associated with a definitive subdivision for Nicky’s Lane. Seven waivers were approved for the construction. Bill Madden of G.A.F. Engineering, representing the owners, said he would return with a bond estimated in the amount of $177,000 for the board’s consideration.

            David Andrews, representative for the Bay Club, came before the board seeking release of lots in consideration for a letter of credit. The letter of credit is meant to provide the town with assurance that roads within the Bay Club subdivision will be completed or some means of receiving financing to complete roads in their stead. However, Planning Board member Janice Robbins said that the letter in question is really a “lender’s agreement” that does not equate to a cash bond. “I’d rather see the town have the money than get involved with the bank,” she said.

            Andrews said he would return to the board on January 3 with a bond proposal.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board is scheduled for Monday, January 3, at 7:00 pm.

Mattapoisett Planning Board

By Marilou Newell