The Rochester School Committee was thrilled to hear from three sixth-grade students during its December 2 meeting.

            The students, also inside Rochester Memorial School but connecting to the committee meeting via Zoom, attended to present on the NexTrex Summer Cycling Challenge, a project-based learning experience focused on plastics recycling.

            “We are doing this challenge because plastic film does not decompose on its own,” explained student John Ferreira. “This means that the plastic film ends up in nature and can harm wildlife when eaten. It doesn’t digest on its own so some animals will end up getting sick. We are cleaning the earth and trying to reduce the amount of plastic film in our environment.”

            The plastic film that is collected is given to NexTrex to recycle and use in the company’s composite outdoor decking and furniture products.

            “There are certain expectations to the plastic that you bring in. The first one is that plastic must be clean. The recycling label must have a ‘2’ or a ‘4,’ explained student Allison Alpert. “(The company) will decline some whole bags (of recyclables) if some rules are not followed.”

            Student Avery White told the committee that the project began on November 15 and closes on April 15, 2022. So far the group has collected 416 pounds of plastic film. Posters are being created and will be distributed.

            “This is another example of us focusing our lens on teaching and learning,” said Old Rochester Regional Superintendent of Schools Mike Nelson, who thanked the sixth-grade teachers for making the connection between “what happens here during the day and the school committee members.”

            Committee Chairperson Sharon Hartley complimented the students on their presentation.

            For more information on the NexTrex Summer Cycling Challenge, visit the Rochester PTO Facebook page or the website recycle.trex.com.

            The committee heard a presentation from administration on MCAS data.

            The scoring rubric was devised in four levels: Exceeding Expectations (530-560); Meeting Expectations (500-529); Partially Meeting Expectations (470-499); and Not Meeting Expectations (440-469).

            A Student Growth Percentile was established by going back to 2019 comparative scores, and an action plan was presented.

            Medeiros and Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Dr. Janell Pearson-Campbell worked on the MCAS presentation.

            The committee voted to authorize the Town of Rochester to enact a contract with Solect Energy, which plans to erect a solar canopy in the RMS parking lot. The plan was approved at Town Meeting.

            RMS Supervisor of Buildings and Grounds Brian Ouellette retired from his duties after 38 years and was honored by Principal Derek Medeiros, who said when he became principal Ouellette was the first friendly face to greet him at the door.

            “I felt like I was the principal of this school for five years walking around with you, telling me all the different components to it, who people were, and what made this place such a wonderful place,” said Medeiros. “I know we joke around a lot about it bud, but I don’t know what we’re going to do without you. I really don’t. When we talk about the heart and soul of our school, you truly are that heart and soul.

            “From the bottom of my heart not only as the building principal but as a parent, thank you for all you do for our students because the first thing they see every day when they come is how beautiful this building looks, and that’s because of you.”

            Hartley and Nelson also spoke, and in keeping with RMS retirement’s tradition, Hartley presented Ouellette with the dedication of the book “Stuff You Need to Know,” a volume to be added to the school library in Ouellette’s honor.

            In his Central Office report, Nelson said an uptick in COVID-19 cases is anticipated. RMS has had 35 positive cases during the 2021-22 academic year, according to Nelson. Six were in isolation as of the December 2 committee meeting.

            “The testing program continues to be instrumental,” said Nelson, crediting that program for the ability to sustain in-person learning. “I know the mask continues to be a debated issue statewide and nationally.” The mask mandate from DESE is currently slated to expire on January 15, 2022.

            The Central Office report included reports from Pearson-Campbell and Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Howie Barber.

            Medeiros updated the committee on RMS activities beginning with alumna Taylor Green, a National Honor Society member attending ORR who is running a book drive. Before Thanksgiving, all RMS students were screened for dyslexia.

            The five-member Budget Subcommittee met earlier in the day and according to Nelson, set up a calendar for meetings to guide the FY23 budget process.

            Committee member Jason Chisholm, who represents Rochester on the ORR School Committee, reported on that committee’s October 20 meeting, noting the importance of expanding social-emotional learning to students’ parents.

            The committee voted to approve a donation of a book from Heather Burke, Marion resident and chairperson of the Old Rochester Regional School Committee. The book “Monty and Rose, Nest at Montrose” was written by Tamima Itani about piping plovers.

            The meeting opened with a moment of silence for the victims in the Oakland County Michigan high school shooting.

            That committee entered executive session to discuss strategy regarding collective bargaining and to comply with provisions related to laws or federal-grant requirements.

            The next meeting of the Rochester School Committee is scheduled for Thursday, January 6, and the Joint School Committee is scheduled to meet on January 20. Both meetings start at 6:30 pm.

Rochester School Committee

By Mick Colageo

            The Chapter 2 situation at 520 Front Street is resolved for now, according to Ana Wimmer’s report to the Marion Board of Health on Tuesday. Marion’s health agent spent her entire day occupied with the predicament of the people living at that address, albeit in a trailer not fully set up.

            Even the town is handcuffed from lending assistance because any financial support would have to come from the reserve fund, and that falls under the purview of the Finance Committee. “They just got heat going and are hooking up water,” said Wimmer, who was on site with a Fire Department lieutenant. She said after taking a look inside that the residents can still be in the house as it has food and running water,) “but for legality, it wouldn’t be wise to give them approval to stay in the house.”

            Wimmer is in contact with the company doing mold remediation.

            “They’re absolutely miserable,” she said, explaining that they cannot live in the trailer long term but only for a few days. “They don’t want to be in there either.”

            Board of Health Chairman Dr. Ed Hoffer asked if the property owner has accepted responsibility for remediation. Wimmer said the matter remains under discussion and pointed to ambiguity in emails from the management company.

            Hoffer said the town may need legal advice. Wimmer said legal action would hinge on something enforceable in the sanitary code. “There are no standards for mold,” she said. “You can’t go to housing court and say the mold levels are too high.”

            The owner, who has lived there three years, has received a planning list for a demolition anticipated in the spring. Wimmer said nobody is living in the house so it is not a safety issue.

            In her update to the board, Public Health Director/Nurse Lori Desmarais reported that there are 31 active COVID-19 cases in Marion. Since the onset of the pandemic, there have been 611.

            The month of October saw 71 cases, but in November there were 45. So far into December, there were 21 as of Tuesday. In studying the November cases, Desmarais said most fell into the 30-49 age range.

            Children’s symptoms have generally lasted three days, they have included both fever and runny nose. For vaccinated adults testing positive, symptoms have been more like a head cold. Unvaccinated adults testing positive, said Desmarais, are having more symptoms.

            School updates as of December 2 included no one in test and stay program, no one in quarantine at Sippican Elementary School, one in quarantine at Old Rochester Regional Junior High School and seven in quarantine at the high school. There were six positive cases at Sippican, four at the junior high and six at the high school. Since the start of the 2021-22 academic year, Sippican has had 33 cases, ORRJH 16 and ORRHS 19.

            Tabor Academy came back from the Thanksgiving break and held full faculty-and-staff, campus-wide tests (738 tests) yielding seven positive results. Tabor has had 16 positive cases since the start of the school year, and those people have isolated at their homes.

            Marion was to hold a COVID-19 vaccine booster clinic on Wednesday, December 8, with 90 doses available. There will be another booster clinic on Wednesday, December 15, with 60 available doses, and some homebound visits are also planned. Marion has vaccinated 200 people against COVID-19.

            Desmarais says that the town still has a couple of more high and regular doses of flu vaccine that are available.

            Four people took advantage of the Blood Pressure clinic held last week at Little Neck Village; those clinics are scheduled on the first Thursday of every month.

            Board of Health member Dot Brown thinks the board would be better off starting from scratch with its septic regulations. “I really feel like our regulations have become a Frankenstein, and it’s so hard to follow,” she said. “I just think if we just ended up with a nice, tight document, it would make sense to have a public hearing.”

            The board agreed to cancel its December 21 meeting and only hold the meeting if there is a pressing need. Scheduling conflicts during the holidays and in January have left the board’s meeting schedule unresolved for the time being.

Marion Board of Health

By Mick Colageo

            With only loose ends remaining, the site-plan review of the Randall Lane Solar project is nearly complete. During the December 6 meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board, the solar team headed up by Attorney Greg Sampson and including Eric Las, Caroline Booth and Joe Harrison once again addressed comments from the board related to the latest iteration of the plan of record.

            On this night, questions arose as to the size of trucks and other transport vehicles intended to be used to ferry materials into the site by way of the dirt lane. The solar team confirmed that the historic stone bridge across the Mattapoisett River at River Road would not be used by the developers and that a safety officer would be stationed at the intersection of River Road and Randall Lane at all times during active construction stages. That language was tweaked to the satisfaction of all as part of the board’s final decision.

            Also tweaked was language covering the acres that will ultimately be in permanent conservation restriction to be held by the Buzzards Bay Coalition. At first, board member Janice Robbins said she was not comfortable with the absence of a firm number of acres to be conserved. Town Counsel Jonathan Silverstein called the text “aspirational.” The ambiguity was a problem for the board.

            Sampson confirmed that as of December 6, an exact number of acres to be conserved via a conservation restriction could not be given. Board members were unified in their concern that a figure is needed in the site-plan review. After some discussion by the solar team, they offered language that would read, “no less than 75 acres.”

            The board and the applicants also briefly discussed what would happen if the project is sold to another developer before construction is completed. The board was satisfied that bonds would protect the town’s interests. “A few more tweaks and we should be ready,” stated Planning Board Chairman Tom Tucker. The site-plan review was continued until the board’s December 20 meeting.

            Earlier in the proceedings, the Form A, Approval Not Required (ANR) subdivision requested by Randall Lane Solar LLC was continued to February 7.

            In other matters, a Form C application filed by Dandy Realty Trust for a new roadway layout for Nicky’s Lane was continued to December 20.

            Also continued to December 20 was a previously continued Definitive Subdivision Plan filed for property located on Park Lane. Representing the applicants was Douglas Schneider who was cautioned by Tucker, “This is your last chance.” For various reasons, the proposed development has met with delays over many months.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board is scheduled for Monday, December 20, at 7:00 pm.

Mattapoisett Planning Board

By Marilou Newell