Larkin Looks to Assist ORR Administration

on

            Marion Town Administrator Jay McGrail simply has not had time to attend a string of recent Sippican Elementary School budget subcommittee meetings, so the Finance Committee sought to appoint a member to act as the town’s liaison to the subcommittee.

            The eventual appointment of FinCom member Karen Kevelson was only one of several made, as each member attending FinCom’s December 16 meeting left with a homework assignment.

            Chairman Peter Winters handed off the meeting to committee member Shay Assad, who in turn engaged member Charles Larkin regarding the latter’s ongoing interests in creating a comprehensive financial report.

            “Charlie has been really active in trying to gain a relationship with ORR,” said Assad, inviting Larkin to take the floor. Larkin confirmed that interest.

            “I feel a little bit like Don Quixote here, but I have a vision of putting together with downloads from their mainframe a very user-friendly financial report,” explained Larkin. “Going back ‘x’ amount of years because I don’t know how far back we can go. If I could go back five, I would. And then the state sanctions exactly what departments they have so every school district has the same ones.”

            Larkin continued, “I won’t get the numbers right, but Department 031 is like ‘the faculty in the shop room,’ and it’s that way for everybody. And, believe it or not, that information exists. It’s just not presented in a way that many of us really can understand.” He told the committee that he knows of examples of other municipalities in which the numbers are presented in “a great way for the school committee. It’s not really about financial oversight. It’s a great way for the school committee and the superintendent to present the information.”

            Larkin would like to see such a presentation at least once a year, and, ideally, twice annually.

            At the time of FinCom’s December 16 meeting, Larkin had yet to meet privately with new Superintendent Mike Nelson or Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Howie Barber. They did meet at the Music Hall when FinCom invited ORR administration to present an overview. He had met earlier in the year with former Superintendent of Schools Doug White and his interim financial assistant, Lincoln Lynch, but is now starting over.

            Waiting on an official appointment by FinCom to act as its liaison to ORR, Larkin envisions a creation that would require minimal tweaking for subsequent presentations.

            Larkin estimates that approximately half of Marion’s budget goes to ORR and Sippican Elementary School. “If you’re going to start slaying dragons, to me, that’s where we need to start,” he said. “There’s far-reaching consequences to this; I don’t think there’s a lot of trust. I’m trying to go in with my hands open and try to be embraced as someone who wants to be additive. I know FinCom’s history is [to] challenge them, whereas what I’m trying to do is say, ‘Hey, look. There’s only so much money in the pie. Is it possible to reallocate?'”

            Larkin continued, “What else could we do? But without the numbers, I can’t even begin to make any valuable contribution. And it turns out … of the 350 some-odd towns in Massachusetts, very few of them do this.”

            Acknowledging the School Committee’s independence, Larkin referenced McGrail’s recent meeting of Tri-Town department heads and openly hoped that the same kind of collaboration can exist with the school district. He envisions a report featuring line items in each educational department, including expenses for administration, faculty, and supplies.

            “If you could do some financial numbers, you might be able to help them, but, if nothing else, you’d be able to report back to the town in a way that is not very common,” said Larkin. “They have done a lot of work; it’s been really hard, and there’s been some stops and starts. I’m just trying to contribute, and so I just grabbed onto the schools … and I don’t really have a lot to show for it except I think I know what needs to be done. Even though I don’t know how to look at a school district, I’m used to a bunch of numbers on spreadsheets and sort of summarize … that complexity to digestible formats for people to have opinions on and vote on. So that’s sort of the impetus of it.”

            Assad was pleased to hear Larkin’s rationale.

            “A number of guys I know that on the committee have actually run a business, and you’ve got to scratch your head and say, ‘How could you actually run a business if you’re not doing the kinds of things that you describe?'” Assad said. “And that goes for how you actually competently establish a budget if you didn’t have that kind of information available to you so you could assess whether or not it’s being properly allocated. I think, if you can get there, it would be a home run, especially if it enabled them as a school committee to look at other school districts— and they may be doing very well compared to other school districts—  nobody really knows.”

            As an example, Larkin said that the Town of Weston allocates over 60 percent of its budget to its schools.

            “I don’t know if that’s good or bad, but if you want to take a far-reaching concept so [that] we’re talking tactics and information and an esprit de corps— finance, town government, school committee, school leadership working together—  really what you’re talking about is if a young family is going to choose the southeast coast if you don’t have a school system that is on the up,” said Larkin.

            For Marion to attract younger families, Larkin says the quality of education has to be raised. Otherwise, the cost of living will continue to trend higher per capita. Larkin compared the value of detailed school expenditures to how valuable it would have been to the town to fully understand 10-15 years ago how much money it would cost to repair the sewer system.

            “To me, it’s the only way forward,” he said.

            McGrail told the committee that the ORR administration enjoyed the recent meeting with the Marion FinCom. “I think overall that was a really good meeting,” said McGrail, who told Nelson and Barber that Larkin would be reaching out, something that had not happened by December 16. “Things are insane right now. I talk to them every day, purely because of the pandemic. It’s a wild time for all of us, and it’s going to be hard to focus.”

            McGrail recommended Larkin begin by attending budget subcommittee meetings and finding opportunities for informal conversation.

            Larkin would eventually like to work closely with ORR administration and convey the message that, “We’re all in this thing together, we really are.”

            McGrail concurred. “If I’ve gotten anything out of the pandemic, is that it solidified a relationship with that group that exists, with Marion, ORR, Sippican, and even the other two towns, certainly Rochester. I think it’s there,” he said, noting the administration’s daily preoccupation with the pandemic. “Right now, it’s just nuts; it’s COVID all day, every day.”

            “It should work, it’s just going to take a little time,” said Assad.

            With the Marion Police contract accomplished, McGrail is currently working on contracts with the Department of Public Works and clerical unions.

            In addition to Larkin acting as liaison with the ORR budget subcommittee, FinCom deployed liaisons to town departments. Kevelson will act as FinCom’s liaison with Sippican School. Bill Marvel will work with the DPW, John Menzel with Capital Planning, Assad with Police, Margie Baldwin will stay on the Community Preservation Committee, and Winters will work with the Fire Department.

            McGrail reported to the committee on a budget timeline. He has received all departmental budgets except for DPW and Sippican School. He is also waiting on ORR. He said, “Free cash at this point is pretty much certified,” and he expects by mid to late January to have a budget to send simultaneously to the Board of Selectmen and FinCom. Weekly budget hearings will angle toward a March conclusion.

            The next meeting of the Marion Finance Committee is scheduled for January 20 at 7:00 pm.

Marion Finance Committee

By Mick Colageo

Strom Finds Strength to Share

on

            Inspired by her angels, Hannah Strom is already strategizing on how to pay it forward. “I want to help people just like people helped me,” she told The Wanderer last week, only days after taking the giant step of a Sunday run from Island Wharf along Front Street past Pitcher Street where she lives and on down to Silvershell Beach, where she was greeted by her father Tom Strom bearing a golden doodle puppy named Ruthie.

            The surprise at the finish line capped a very gratifying event for Hannah, her family, and all those who supported her.

            “Those who ran with her were perfect to run with her; those are just some of her angels. That Abigail never gave up, she would write things down on Hannah,” said Hannah’s mother, Gail Theresa Matoes-Strom. “We’ve had all these sort of angels help Hannah. I called them ‘the running dream team.’ All of them wanted to run with her, especially her very first therapist…. I was really touched by that.”

            Abigail Spaulding, that “very first therapist” whose last name is coincidental to her employment with Spaulding Rehabilitation in Charlestown, was present for Hannah’s first step and first time out of bed. Secured by a body harness, Hannah wasn’t able to hold her head up, according to Gail. “[Abigail) had to hold her up so many times, then she had to take her upstairs,” she said. “Each week, Hannah would get just a little bit better. [Abigail] actually saved Hannah in a lot of ways.”

            Even amidst the coronavirus pandemic, few could ever understand how long 2020 has been for Hannah Strom, whose ordeal began on January 15 when the van she was riding in with her Holy Cross rowing teammates collided with a pickup truck in Vero Beach, Florida, taking the life of teammate Grace Rett and inflicting severe injuries on several others.

            Her lengthy and complicated road back began in a Florida hospital and saw her continue to rehab at Massachusetts General Hospital and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston. On June 3, she returned home with a police escort and was cheered as she passed through the Tabor Academy campus and Marion village.

            Hannah finished first in her class at Tabor, and among her December 13 running mates was Meredith Finch, Hannah’s rowing coach and academic advisor for her senior year at Tabor.

            “I’m really happy to have the opportunity to coach and work with Hannah back when she was at Tabor and all through this. She’s an amazing athlete and a really hard worker,” said Finch.

            Finch, as she is known around campus, went several times to see Hannah in the intensive care unit “and would sit in on some of her sessions so they’re close,” said Gail.

            Hannah’s lengthy, in-patient stint at Spaulding concluded with an eight-week program called the “The Disorders of Consciousness.” The program was nearing completion when the therapists wanted Hannah to extend “because they felt they could do more wonderful things with her,” according to Gail.

            “During the two weeks that the program was extended, miracles started happening.”

            Hannah went from “You’re going home with a feeding tube” and “She’ll need this, she’ll need that— little by little— to eating normally,” said Gail. “I just envisioned that 100 percent I was getting my daughter back.”

            Hannah was put on a calorie count, and a week before going home, the feeding tube came out. She was given a wheelchair to use at home, but when she got home, she didn’t want to use it. “I’m 19; I shouldn’t have to use a wheelchair,” said Gail, recalling Hannah’s words.

            Therapy progressed after Hannah got home to Marion. She has been working once a week with Cheryl Langlais of Seaside Physical Therapy on Front Street while continuing twice-weekly visits to Spaulding’s center in Sandwich. Since July, she has made weekly visits to see Lynn Carlson at Acton-based ChiroPro. Her therapists give her work to do at home, too.

            Hannah does some of that with her 16-year-old brother David, a junior at Tabor, who shares Hannah’s passion for rowing and is a member of the Seawolves’ crew team. David ran alongside his sister and has been mature beyond his years.

            “He’s been really strong; he was only 15 when the accident happened,” recalled Gail, who anticipates returning soon to her job at Verizon. “Out of that entire time, I only came home two days to get clothes for her— they want you to wear regular clothes for physical therapy— and some appointments. Both times my sister stayed with her … for three months, I didn’t leave the seventh floor. He would always tell me, ‘I know you’re where you need to be.’ He’s been my rock.”

            Her magnificent strides notwithstanding, Hannah struggles to hear. “It’s a very rare thing to happen, we are told,” said Gail. “Her ears are fine, but when the sound goes in, for us, it goes up and around to the other side of the brain, but for her, it doesn’t happen.”

            Because Hannah is only 20 years old and her brain is not finished developing, the family is encouraged that she will find a new neural pathway to process sounds. She remains undeterred and anticipates a return to Holy Cross in 2021.

            “I’m a psychology major, and I didn’t know what I want to do,” Hannah said, thinking back to her life before the accident. Thanks to the impression her “angels” have left on her, she knows now. “I hopefully want to go to graduate school for physical therapy. I want to help people just like people helped me.”

            Grace Rett’s father, Chris Rett, was interviewed last weekend on 98.5 The Sports Hub, where he told hosts Jim Murray and Chris Gasper about the building of a new gymnasium named the GRACE Center, an acronym for the Grace Rett Athletic Complex and Education center, on the campus of Our Lady of the Valley Regional School in Uxbridge, where Grace Rett attended. For more information, visit gracetothefinish.com.

By Mick Colageo

Sippican Woman’s Club Holiday Recipes

on

In 1984, Shirlee Thomas, who was president of the Sippican Woman’s Club, with three other women came up with an idea to raise money for the Scholarship Fund. That was the year of the first “Holiday House Tour and Sugar Plum Tea,” and there has been a yearly House Tour and Tea until COVID-19.

            Shirlee worked in the kitchen during the tea event, providing advice, experience, and most of all, joy. Many a laugh erased the long hours. If you see Shirlee around town, say hello and thank you.

Santa’s Whiskers

Servings: 60 cookies

Baking Time: 12 min or until edges are brown

Oven temp: 375 degrees

Ingredients:

1 cup of butter, room temperature

1 cup of sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 ½ cups flour

¾ cup finely chopped candied cherries

½ cup finely chopped pecans

1 ¾ cup flaked coconut

            Cream butter and sugar; blend in milk and vanilla. Stir in flour, cherries, and nuts.

Form into two rolls, each 3” in diameter and 8” long. Roll in coconut. Wrap and chill several hours or overnight. Slice half-inch thick then place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 375 degrees for 12 minutes.

            The Sippican Woman’s Club would like to thank The Wanderer for publishing our Christmas recipes for the last five weeks.

Can & Bottle Drive for Marion Cub Scouts

on

Marion Cub Scouts Pack 32 welcomes all children from kindergarten to grade 5 to join us. Cub Scouting is fun for the whole family. In Scouting, boys and girls start with their best right-now selves and grow into their very best future selves. It’s fun, hands-on learning and achievement that puts kids in the middle of the action and prepares them for today, and for life. Scouting is a year-round activity that continues to meet with all safety protocols. Scouting is largely funded by donations; however, due to the lack of fundraising efforts in 2020, the Scouts of Marion Cub Scouts are asking our local friends and family to consider donating bottles and cans with a five-cent deposit to the Scouts from December 26 – January 3.

            There is a large box located in one of our Scout family’s driveways located at 411 Front Street. We are hoping to raise funds to continue to ensure that Scouting in Marion can be as amazing for these Scouts during a pandemic as it is during normal days. We thank our friends and neighbors for supporting us in so many ways and we hope we can utilize these funds to help back to this amazing community. For more information regarding scouting, donations, and the bottle and can drive, please feel free to contact us at MarionCubscouts@gmail.com.

            We are taking the following precautions for everyone’s safety:

-Please, rinse out your bottles and cans ahead of time.

-If possible, pre-sort containers separating soda cans, beer cans, glass, 1-liter plastic, 2-liter plastic, and smaller plastic (“personal size” drinks) If not, we will take precautions to do so.

            Thank you for supporting Pack 32!

Linda Taylor

on

Linda Taylor, 74, of West Wareham, passed away on Thursday December 17, 2020 at Tobey Hospital. Linda was the loving partner and companion of 47 years to Judy Greenlaw also of West Wareham. She was born in Wareham the daughter of the late Joseph and Mildred (Angell) Taylor.

            She earned her Master’s Degree from Boston University. She taught physical education at Wareham High School for 12 years and developed the Girls Field Hockey program and was the Girls Varsity Basketball Coach. She also taught in the Old Rochester School District, Upper Cape Cod Technical Regional High School and was a coach at UMass Dartmouth. She later worked as a Social Worker at the New Bedford Crisis Center. She also enjoyed Tennis and was a semi-pro Basketball player. A strong supporter of Title IX, giving women athletes the right to equal opportunity in sports in educational institutions. Linda and Judy owned and operated the Siberian Husky Kennel of Wareham and Bridgewater. They raised, raced and showed their dogs winning a National Specialty award. They had many favorite dogs and pets over the years but most recently it is Jasper and Zoe.

            Linda is survived by her partner Judy Greenlaw and many loving relatives, friends and colleagues. She was the sister of the late Kathleen “KT” Taylor, Richard “Dicky” Taylor and Donnie Taylor.

            Memorial gifts may be made to Champs Shelter Wareham 1057 Main Street, West Wareham MA 02576.

            Tel: 1-774-849-2811 Email: lynnlac4@gmail.com or MSPCA  350 Huntington Ave., Boston MA 02130 Tel: 1-617-522-7400 www.mspca.org/donate-now/

            Funeral services will be held at a later date. To leave a message of condolence please visit www.warehamvillagefuneralhome.com Funeral arrangements are in the care of Wareham Village Funeral Home 5 Center Street Wareham, MA 02571.

Washburns Look for a New Way in and Out

on

One of Marion’s longtime families, landowners, and business owners has engaged in a complicated process to improve the Route 6 egress around his and family members’ properties, and his case was heard during the December 21 meeting of the Marion Planning Board.

            Bill Washburn, Warren Washburn, and Chris Washburn were among the Washburns on Monday night’s Zoom meeting to talk about making Washburn Lane an outlet and creating an inlet on the opposite side of private property along that road.

            As explained by Bill Washburn, the idea is to use the 30-foot-wide Washburn Lane for traffic entering Route 6 and for traffic turning off of Route 6 to use a yet-to-be-constructed road, the pinch point of which is almost 40 feet wide.

            “Before we went any further and spent any money doing up a plan, we wanted to know if that [would be acceptable],” said Bill Washburn. 

            The other option posed was constructing a new road to a width that the Planning Board would accept.

            However, the questions that the Washburns came to the meeting with were not the same questions that they took home for further study and evaluation.

            Washburn estimates that the road is at least 100 years old. It used to wind along cornfields on its way past Washburn Park. “The road may have moved,” said Bill Washburn, alluding to a 1910 document and a 1906 photo.

            Planning Board member Norm Hills brought up the 100-foot contiguous frontage requirement that cannot be met and asked if the road is a private way. Bill Washburn said, “It’s a private way that’s used by everybody.” Today softball players and dog walkers use the road.

            Hills said, “We may need legal answers here,” and many of the revelations that followed brought him and the board as a whole back to that point.

            The Washburns had discussed the future of the property with town representatives for years. Chris Washburn said that the Department of Public Works plows from Route 6 all the way to the ballpark. Bill Washburn says that, except for a pie-shaped piece of the road, the Town of Marion owns the road.

            Planning Board members Christopher Collings and Eileen Marum discussed the problem posed by speeding drivers in that hilly area of Route 6.

            “I find [Route 6 speed] to be the biggest problem,” said Bill Washburn. “When they built [Route] 195 and took 60 percent of the traffic off of Route 6, the speed has picked up quite a bit.”

            Hills pointed out on the map that Lot 60 is in the Marion Open Space Acquisition Commission’s care, which adds further restriction of what can be done in the area.

            “We’ve got some homework to do. You’ve given me a few things I haven’t thought about,” said Bill Washburn.

            The Planning Board recommended Washburn study state regulations to egress involving Route 6 and the lane’s legal status in question.

            Engineer David Davignon attended Monday night’s Planning Board meeting where he sought and got two Approval Not Required (ANR) decisions, 369 Wareham Street on behalf of Marion Lands Trust and at 28 Point Road for the Estate of Joan Winters.

            The next meeting of the Marion Planning Board is scheduled to be held on January 4 at 7:00 pm via Zoom.

Marion Planning Board

By Mick Colageo

Wishes from the Rochester Senior Center

on

The Rochester Senior Center would like to wish you and your family a very happy and healthy holiday season. We look forward to ringing in 2021 and being together again soon.

            The Senior Center will close at noon Thursday, December 24, and remain closed until Monday, January 11. The Senior Center remains closed to the public, but is staffed and able to arrange van rides, food distribution, lending of medical equipment, and a few other services. Please call for details or if you have needs.

            We provide free transportation to and from local appointments for Rochester residents. Please call for a ride with one of our friendly drivers at least 24 hours in advance so we can schedule a driver.

            The Senior Center participates in various programs for those who are food insecure. Qualifications vary, depending on the program. If you are experiencing food insecurity, even if temporarily, please call us. It would be our pleasure to assist you in navigating these programs.

            The Senior Center can also help with fuel assistance programs for families and seniors.

            The Rochester Senior Center would like to send a big “thank you” to Outreach Coordinator Lorraine Thompson and her crew of volunteers for preparing and delivering a wonderful ham dinner on December 18, despite the snowstorm the previous day.

            Please contact the Senior Center at 508-763-8723 for more information or to make reservations for rides and/or events.

Mattapoisett School Committee Meeting

on

To the Mattapoisett Community,

            Although I am a member of the Mattapoisett School Committee, these are my personal views and are not intended to reflect the opinions or feelings of the other four committee members. I share these thoughts openly as a parent and resident of Mattapoisett. I am honored to serve this community on the Mattapoisett School Committee, especially in these unprecedented times. I believe my professional background in the financial services private sector, my life experiences as a mother of four young children, and my persistence to find common ground will benefit the school community at large. I am concerned for the health and welfare of my neighbors, my parents, and my friends. I am concerned for our community, including our teachers.

            I am extremely disheartened by particular comments shared during the December 7 Mattapoisett School Committee meeting. The notion that there are two opposing groups— teachers and the community they serve— is a false ideology that I refuse to support. It is harmful, offensive, and, frankly, creates an unnecessary distraction from the real challenges before us. The teachers that are employed in Mattapoisett are part of this community. I believe that the teachers of the Mattapoisett school system are the magic behind the fabulous education that so many of us have factored into choosing to live in this community. And I firmly believe the Mattapoisett teachers and administrators care as deeply about the children in this community as the parents and guardians themselves.

            Additionally, the implication that teachers have not ‘paid’ for this pandemic in the same way that many others have, such as layoffs, furloughs, lost wages, etc. is a spiteful mentality. The ways in which many of us have been impacted by this pandemic have been extremely challenging— even life altering. Our teachers are no different; some may have spouses, children, and many likely have elderly parents impacted by COVID-19. Some may be dealing with personal medical conditions or have medical concerns in their extended family. Teaching is their job, and although many tend to be quite passionate about their career choice, it remains only a component of who they are. First and foremost, they are human— and our decisions should not lose sight of that most central point.

            I do not put my trust blindly into our teachers or this administration; they have earned my trust and respect over my five years in this community. I have witnessed them care for the wellbeing of my children, not just the ABCs and 123s, but the entirety of my children’s well-being. And while I will not rest comfortably on those past experiences as I fulfill my duties to ensure the best possible education is available to my own children and to all of your children, I do believe that foundation allows me to enter every single conversation and dialogue with respect and assumption of positive intent. I applaud the advocacy that has been displayed in our community throughout this year, as I believe it improves not only our decision-making process, but our decisions. I truly believe that every seat around this proverbial table, from the administration, to committee members, teachers, and families, all have the undeniable shared interest to bring ALL of our students back full time. Yet, I recognize that many may differ on the how and when to effectively return full time. These are ethical dilemmas with no clear right or wrong decisions. As we close out 2020 and head into 2021, I ask that our entire school community demonstrate to our children how to discuss, debate, and even disagree with civility and respect.

            These past 10 months have been challenging for everyone. Like many parents and guardians of school-age children, I have experienced disappointment and frustration in relation to their education over the course of 2020. I am concerned for my children’s education, as well as their emotional and social wellbeing. But in this unprecedented year, I’ve come to realize that teaching and modeling for my children what it means to be a member of a community— how we make hard choices, embrace change and ambiguity, rise to meet the moments and challenges before us, and how we may sacrifice our own desires for the wellbeing of another— are the ultimate learning outcomes of the 2020-2021 school year. Our children will learn these lessons not only from their parents, guardians, and teachers, but from the entire Mattapoisett community.

            Consistent with the direction laid out in August, the Joint Labor Management Committee has been meeting regularly and will continue to meet regularly to monitor the educational situations directly related to COVID-19. To the community at large: Please make decisions that will support the efforts to bring our students back in person safely and equitably.

Sincerely,

Carly E. Lavin, 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.

Connection to Wareham Focus of Pathway Project

on

            On December 21, the Marion Pathway Committee met after a few months off to take up the matter of when, where, and how the town will connect bike paths and bikeways to the neighboring towns of Mattapoisett and Wareham. Yet with the plans each of the neighbors are now pursuing, one off the beaten path and the other along Route 6, Marion has big decisions to make.

            Chairing the committee, John Rockwell reported the good news that design plans meeting the 75-percent goal for a section of bikeway that will connect to Mattapoisett’s Industrial Drive bikeway along a railroad easement out to Point Road had been submitted to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation on December 18.

            “There’ll be a 90-day review period,” Rockwell said, which is likely to put the matter off schedule with Spring Town Meeting timing. He said that easements for construction would not make it into the warrant.

            Rockwell also said that, after the MassDOT review, the proposed project would have to go through other agency reviews, further delaying the process by another 90 days.

            “That means it would be six months before we could file a Notice of Intent,” said Rockwell. He added, however, that as designs stand now, they were ready for the permitting process. When asked about abutters, Rockwell also confirmed that three construction-related easements would be needed around and near Brew Fish restaurant.

            Pathway Committee member Jeff Oakes reported that it is possible to have the project placed on the 2023 federal Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). Oakes also discussed what their neighbors to the east, Wareham, have decided.

            Oakes said that, during a recent joint meeting of MassDOT and Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD), also attended by Wareham selectmen, it was revealed that Wareham is leaning toward building bike lanes along Route 6. Oakes said that the SRPEDD feasibility study resulted in Wareham’s interest in pursuing those plans rather than forging ahead with concepts to construct bike lanes along County Road, Blackmore Pond Road, and Fearing Hill Road.

            “The Route 6 corridor along Route 6 over the Weweantic Bridge to the village could be widened,” Oakes said, reporting that plans to add improvement across the bridge span were already on the TIP for 2022. “Shared-use paths on one or both sides of Route 6 are possible, so plans are already in place.”

            Oakes said the project would solely be a MassDOT project, so the town would not be required to fund it. “It looks as though we (Marion) should seriously consider Route 6.” He added that other concepts along country roadways could take up to 10 years.

            Rockwell gave a brief historical perspective of Marion’s review of bike paths, saying that at first, people were positive about having bike paths and lanes, but emotions changed when other issues surfaced, such as cars traveling at high rates of speed and traffic volumes along such roadways as County Road, Delano Road, and Point Road.

            “People became hostile,” Rockwell recalled. “They said, ‘We can’t even walk outside our door, never mind ride a bike.’” This sentiment, he said, had stayed with him. “I’ve been thinking about it, not being able to go outside your house without getting hurt.” He conjectured that sidewalks would be necessary if a bike path were to be constructed.

            “Route 6 makes sense for Wareham,” Rockwell stated. He then wondered aloud how Marion would connect to Wareham if Route 6 was their plan. He asked the committee to take a ride along Point Road to Wareham and Point Road to County Road in Wareham. “Think about which is the best route for Marion.”

            Member Paula Meere asked, “Doesn’t that force us to use Route 6 to connect [to Wareham]?”

            “If they like one and we like the other, then more discussion will be needed,” Rockwell responded. He agreed that Wareham’s Route 6 plan was good for them because the route was basically flat from the Marion line to the village center.

            “Getting everyone’s ideas is critical,” Rockwell told the committee. He shared that County Road would present issues, given its narrow layout and rates of speed.

            Oakes also suggested that the committee look at the roadways in terms of their usage as commuter roadways versus country roads.

            The next meeting of the Marion Pathway Committee was not set at adjournment.

Marion Pathway Committee

By Marilou Newell

From the Files of the Rochester Historical Society

on

Mrs. Annie L. Hartley, known as “Grandma Hartley” to many Rochester residents, was born in Rochester and lived here her entire life of 96 years. At the age of 18, she married James Hartley, 23, whose family came to Rochester by way of England and Fall River. Annie moved into 178 Snipatuit Road with her husband and continued to live there for many years after his death. In this home, she gave birth to 15 children, 13 of whom survived.

            In 1939, a local paper reported on the Hartley family Christmas celebration. In that year, there were 79 Hartleys gathered in the old homestead for the family Christmas. Mrs. Hartley was mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, great-aunt, or mother-in-law to all who would be there.

            The family tradition, of which this was the 54th year, was to cut down a tree on their own property. It would be brightly decorated and surrounded by presents. This scene had occurred at this homestead every year since 1889.

            Of course, serving Christmas dinner to so many was a logistical challenge, but it was a challenge met by family cooperation. Each family group brought something to contribute to the spread, and everyone ate at the same time at tables set up in the three downstairs rooms. At the 1939 feast reported on in the paper, there were 38 grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, 12 sons and daughters-in-law, and six grandsons and daughters-in-law.

            My mother, born in 1920, would have been one of the grandchildren there. However, the Christmases she talked about were the ones held at the Grange Hall. When the family grew too big to gather at the house, they moved the celebration next door. She remembered that every grandchild received a present from their grandmother. To make that possible, all the grandchildren of the same age got the same gift, so the presents had to be all opened simultaneously. The picture with this article shows Grandma Hartley with some of her family, though not at Christmas.

            Merry Christmas and, hopefully, a better New Year to all from the Rochester Historical Society.

By Connie Eshbach