What’s Happening at the Elizabeth Taber Library

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On Thursday, September 12at 6:00 pm The Elizabeth Taber Library presents Hugo Award winning author and futurist Elizabeth Bear at the Marion Arts Center. Elizabeth Bear, author of the Lotus Kingdom Trilogy and Ancestral Night, will talk about her recent work, writing process, and her experiences as a sci-fi and fantasy author. Copies of her latest books will be available for purchase and checkout at the library prior to this event. Please sign up at the library.

            Drop in on Tuesday evenings for our new Chess Club with Jim Kegle from 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm. All ages and experience levels welcome. Get free instruction or just grab a game. Chess sets provided.

            The Come as you Are Book Club takes place on Tuesday, September 10from 11:00 pm -12:00 pm and Tuesday, September 17at 6:00 pm. Try our new low stress book club. No required reading assignments. Come for refreshments and conversation about whatever you’re reading, no matter what you’re reading. Get author and title recommendations from fellow readers and 

share your honest opinions about the titles of your choice.

A Boston Pops Season Finale

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On Friday, August 30, the Marion Concert Band will close its 2019 season, indoors at the Sippican School, with a concert in the style of the Boston Pops Orchestra. The program, which includes pieces by former Pops arranger Leroy Anderson and former Pops conductor John Williams, is as follows:

Montmartre March – H. Wood

Festive Overture – D. Shostakovich

Strike Up the Band – G. Gershwin

Belle of the Ball – L. Anderson

Bugler’s Holiday- L. Anderson

John Williams: Evening at Pops – arr. J. Higgins

The Waltzing Cat – L. Anderson

Star Trek Through the Years – arr. J. Moss

Clarinet Escapade – R. Ward

Mancini. – H. Mancini

Young Person’s Guide to John Williams – arr. J. Bocook

The Stars and Stripes Forever – J. P. Sousa

            The concert, under the direction of Tobias Monte, will begin at 7:00 pm in the Multi-Purpose Room at the Sippican School in Marion. All concerts are free and open to the public. “Like” us on Facebook at “Marion Town Band” for up-to-date announcements and notices.

A Universe of Stories

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To the Editor:

            The Elizabeth Taber Library wrapped up this summer’s program for children, “A Universe of Stories”, with an Ice Cream Sundae Social.

            Over the course of six weeks, many children ages two to twelve enjoyed story times, reading games, a magic show, as well as activities such as: building and blasting off water bottle rockets, a yoga class, exploring a planetarium, enjoying a Mad Science Show, learning about a submarine, beading a solar system, along with various drop-in activities. Attendance for the summer programs totaled 1,821. It was especially exciting to “Read for a Good Cause”. Each hour participants spent reading raised $1 to support the work of Heifer International. Our readers were able to support families living in Cambodia with the help of donations from Eastern Bank and the Sippican Woman’s Club. We purchased four goats, a trio of rabbits, and honeybees and a hive. 

            I would like to thank all of the participants (and parents, grandparents, baby-sitters, and nannies) involved in our program, along with our junior librarian assistant, Prosser Friedman.

            Special thanks goes to Alan Harris for teaching us how to build and blast off water bottle rockets; Sara Gage for her enthusiastic yoga class; Mad Scientist (Atomic) Allen Converse; Michelle Cusolito for sharing her book “Flying Deep” about Alvin the WHOI deep sea submersible; and to Elizabeth Leidhold and Maria Patron for sharing their expertise about Starlab Planetarium. 

            Many thanks go to Jessica Barrett, the Sippican School’s Media Specialist. Jess and I worked together to create the school’s summer reading lists. Sippican Elementary School students visited our library in June to learn about the public library’s resources, the summer program, and the books on the summer reading list. 

            Thanks go to everyone on the staff: Nicole Davignon, Danae Arone, Liz Russell, Teresa Mattson, and Diane Arsenault as they cheerfully helped out with the large groups of children and a seemingly endless flow of books.

            Many thanks go to our enthusiastic Library Director, Elizabeth Sherry, who gave the program unfailing support and encouragement.

            Several agencies and businesses in town lent their kind support to the library’s summer reading program. 

            Working with the children and their families in the community, as well as my colleagues here at the library, was a powerful reminder of the joy and excitement of sharing the love of reading. I hope everyone enjoyed the library’s summer program and the delights of summer reading as much as I did.

Rosemary Grey

Children’s Librarian

Elizabeth Taber Library

The views expressed in the “Letters to the Editor” column are not necessarily those of The Wanderer, its staff or advertisers. The Wandererwill 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 Wandererreserves the right to edit, condense and otherwise alter submissions for purposes of clarity and/or spacing considerations. The Wanderermay choose to not run letters that thank businesses, and The Wandererhas the right to edit letters to omit business names. The Wandereralso reserves the right to deny publication of any submitted correspondence.

FUNdraising Saturday in the Tri-Town

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            The Mattapoisett Fire Station became the hot spot for local fundraising this past Saturday, August 24, for two events, both sparked by scouts with a desire to give back and fueled by the energy of the adolescent years.

            Those who drove by the station could see scouts flanked along the sidewalks with signs proudly announcing their car wash taking place in the station’s parking lot, while others waved at the Dog Walk-a-Thon mascot pointing down Barstow Street to direct them to his fundraiser at the Center School. 

            The Rochester Cub Scout Pack 30 has a packed docket of adventures slated for the upcoming scout year and, to alleviate the financial burden from the pack’s caregivers, the cubs held their first car wash.

            Tapping into the fire hydrant at the front of the station at 10:00 am, scouts filled buckets of suds, prepared their sponges, and patiently awaited their first visitor of the day, which didn’t take long. A steady stream of cars filled the station spots, and, at times, there was even a line forming with local residents waiting their turn.

            For the scouts, giggles were aplenty as they wiped away the summer sand, dirt, and grime from cars, careful to not scratch anything, while the older boy scouts and leaders rinsed off the suds. Visitors were asked to donate $5 per car washed to help fund the scouts’ upcoming year, but many left heftier bills, thankful for their clean car and energetic scouts.

            For many of the scouts, the best part was playing in the water, but many of them laughed and smiled at the familiar faces, especially the Rochester Memorial School teacher who came back a few times with different family cars for the scouts to clean off. The support of the youth in the Tri-Town was shown that summer day with the 30-plus cars that lined up and the over $600 the scouts raised for camping, events, and activities. 

            Alongside the cub scouts was the Dog Walk-A-Thon mascot who stood at the corner of Route 6 and Barstow Street pointing his supporters to the Center School. Behind that dog mask was none other than Freemin Bauer, a Mattapoisett Eagle Scout whose passion for dogs has fueled his multi-year effort to bring a dog park to the town. Judging by the pooch-filled cars entering and leaving the street and the car wash, it was another successful event for him. 

            Bauer’s Eagle project a few years back sparked his continued efforts to bring the dog park to fruition and, despite being in college and beginning his adult life, he hasn’t lost sight of his dream. Every year, he holds the event where dog lovers, owners, and dogs bond while walking around the school and town, dreaming of the day when their dog park becomes a reality. For now, the Center School will do until Bauer raises the benchmark amount he needs to start the next phase. Despite being in his college years, Bauer has kept his promise and continues to work on his goal of raising enough money to build the park.

            A cornerstone of scouting is to give back to the community, which Bauer showed the young cubs that day doesn’t end when you age out of scouts, but is a fire that continues to burn when it’s properly fueled by passion, determination, and loyalty – another trait that runs deep into the scouting world.

By Michelle Wood

Marion Art Center

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Celebration of Land Acquisition – The MAC will be celebrating its recent land acquisition with coffee and mimosas on Saturday, September 7from 10:00 am – 11:00 am at the Marion Art Center. All donors, members, and neighbors are invited to attend. Thanks to generous donor support, the Marion Art Center has added green space to its grounds, located directly behind the MAC on the north side of the building. The MAC intends to use this space for public art, outdoor programming, community events, and for recreational space during ArtStart summer kids’ camp. 

            Special Talkback Scheduled after Thursday night production of Death by Design.

The MAC will run its second week of productions of Death by Design from August 29 – September 1, with a talkback scheduled on August 29. Director Kate Fishman has scheduled the special event after the Thursday night production. A talkback is a chance for the audience to engage with the cast and crew of the play. This informal discussion will take place directly after the end of the show – feedback and questions are welcome. Tickets are still available for purchase in person, by phone, or online at www.marionartcenter.org/events/death-by-design/.

            Fall Classes at the MAC – The Marion Art Center offers one-on-one piano lessons for beginning through intermediate-level students, ages six through adult, with instructor Frances Belcher. Half-hour lessons will include music theory and improvisation, and students will have preparation and opportunities to perform. Parents are welcome to observe lessons. 8 weeks of lessons: $280 for MAC members, $295 for non-members. The schedule of lessons will be determined by student and instructor, and lessons can be arranged after school.

            Instructor Patricia White returns to the MAC to teach Beginning & Continuing Watercolor Painting for Adults, starting Thursday, September 19. The 8-week session will take place 10:00 am – 12:00 pm on Thursdays in the MAC Studio. After a brief introduction each week, students will explore different techniques, while working on the landscape, still life, figurative, and/or imaginative painting, in a nurturing environment. 8 weeks of classes: $195 for MAC members, $220 for non-members. Supplies not included, minimum of 5 students.

            MAC Dance Academy begins Monday, September 9. The Marion Art Center offers classes for ages 1-8 on Monday afternoons between 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm. The fall 2019 program is a 10-week session, with a discount for current MAC members. Pricing for the 10-week session: $160 for MAC members and $185 for non-members. 

            To register for classes, visit www.marionartcenter.org/classes or call 508-748-1266.

            The David Mitton Project Returns to the MAC Stage – The Marion Art Center welcomes back to the MAC stage jazz ensemble The David Mitton Project on Saturday, September 14at 7:30 pm. Tickets ($18 for MAC members, $20 for non-members) are available online at www.marionartcenter.org/musicatthemac/. The David Mitton Project also includes Jim Robitaille on guitar, John Dalton on drums, and Daniel Ashkenazy on bass. A limited number of cabaret tables are available (seating for 4). Reservations are strongly recommended. While beverages are not provided, attendees may bring their own refreshments to enjoy with the music.

ORR, Old Colony Sports Mitigate EEE Exposure

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            After getting the chance to recharge over the summer, student-athletes are back to finding the balance between schoolwork and sports.

            While the players get back into the swing of things, the schools’ athletic department staff is also getting reacclimatized. Except this start of the 2019-20 academic school year in particular presents a different set of problems for the likes of Old Colony and Old Rochester Regional.

            With the Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) virus creeping its way back into the Tri-Town area, both athletic departments have had to take notice in order to avoid exposing students and coaches to mosquitoes.

            “It’s like anything else, you have to adjust,” Old Colony Athletic Director Matt Trahan said. “We don’t want to see anything happen to the kids. Obviously, they are the top priority and the fact of the matter is you peel back the practices a little bit, you still get the practice times in.”

            In Old Colony’s case, the Cougars generally don’t have outdoor athletic events at night in the fall. They usually have one night game per year for the football team, and they hope to do so again at some point in October this season — and maybe even have a night game or two with other sports — but Trahan is hopeful the Tri-Town area will experience a frost before the targeted time.

            For Old Rochester Regional, the Bulldogs have the occasional Senior Night game for sports outside of football, but those all happen later in the year. Athletic Director Bill Tilden doesn’t expect to move any football games because ORR isn’t at home until September 27.

            But there is a complication as it pertains to practice time for both schools. The MIAA instituted a heat index rule last year in which coaches have to be aware of the temperature and humidity, and have to adjust or even cancel practices depending on the weather.

            On hot days throughout the preseason, the schools might normally practice later on in the day as opposed to late morning or early afternoon. But that has not been an option because of the EEE concern.

            “It’s made it tricky,” Tilden said. “While some schools are bumping [practice] back to the night because it’s been hot, we can’t do that. So the heat index has been more of an issue because I don’t really do a lot at night in the fall except for football.”

            Tilden has also made one other change regarding fall practices for one team specifically.

            “The only change that we really made to our schedule right now is cross country has always trained down at Washburn Park,” he said. “And we are just going to keep them back at the school for a little while until we can get more clearance down there instead of running through the woods, just to be on the safe side. I don’t think it’s a real danger zone. It’s not like it’s swampy down there or heavy [with] mosquitoes, but just to be safer, we figured to stay back [at the school].”

            Old Colony has also instituted a rule that until the area is clear of EEE, students waiting for a ride after practice have to be inside the school.

            With EEE having been an issue in the Tri-Town area during years past, both long-standing athletic directors were prepared to adjust to the unfortunate news. Now they just have to wait like everyone else until the storm passes.

High School Sports Update

By Nick Friar

St. Philip’s Episcopal Church

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For 135 years, St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in Mattapoisett has held summer only services for parishioners.

            Each Sunday through Labor Day, visiting clergy from Massachusetts and beyond conduct services, using the 1928 Book of Common Prayer, at 8:00 am and 10:00 am.

            On Sunday, September 1, the Rev. Jeffrey Paull Cave, Honorary Assistant, Church of Our Savior, Atlanta, GA will be officiating.

            All are welcome at our historic church next to the Town Beach in Mattapoisett.

Study Steers Marion Toward Equitable Employee Policy

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            Marion is moving toward a more comprehensive and fair classification and comprehension plan for union and non-union employees.

            During the August 27 meeting of the Marion Board of Selectmen, David Colton from the Edward J. Collins, Jr. Center for Public Management at the University of Massachusetts Boston presented the findings of a comprehensive study and gave his recommendations on how the town should proceed.

            As of today, the town has no set pay scale for both union and non-union employees and instead relies mostly on individual contracts. Colton’s presentation laid down the framework for classifying positions, establishing pay grades, and implementing annual pay raise steps that are merit-based and apart from cost of living adjustments (COLA).

            The town solicited the assistance of the Collins center back in December 2018 and received the center’s draft in late June.

            “I think it makes sense to take it to the next level … so everyone’s treated fairly,” said Town Administrator Jay McGrail. “The same, really, benefits of employment.”

            What the Collins Center did, McGrail said, was essentially take the town’s current 35-page employment policy and cut it down into “something that made sense”.

            The findings were based on employee questionnaires and interviews and a survey of the fiscal year 2019 salaries of six comparable communities – Acushnet, Carver, Fairhaven, Lakeville, Somerset, and Swansea. Next, the center established a draft classification plan using job descriptions and applied a point system evaluating 13 key factors such as level of supervision, complexity of job, quality of judgment, and level of education and experience. This, Colton said, 

creates an internal hierarchy that is equitable, and a system of salary schedules and minimum and maximum salary ranges with steps in between.

            “We want to make sure that the eventual salary … schedule … that we come up with is equitable,” said Colton. “That you’re able to compete in the market for employees and you’re not overpaying, you’re not underpaying, and you have a fair shot at hiring people in this job market.”

            Colton pointed to some of the highlights from the results of the center’s study, which found that Marion’s non-union employee salaries are below the average and median maximum pay rates in comparable communities.

            However, Colton stated, “This doesn’t mean that you pay them less…. We’re interested in the job, not the individual in the job, so we look at the range of the towns’ pay and what you pay, because you don’t have a [pay] range.”

            Union clerical and Department of Public Works employees, Colton said, in Marion are, generally, above average in other communities, mostly due to the effectiveness of union negotiations on behalf of employees.

            Police union employee pay rates, Colton said, are generally comparable to the other towns.

            The compensation breakdown required the center to reduce all fixed salaries to an hourly rate, like non-union employees, “in order to compare apples to apples,” said Colton. The center found that Marion’s maximum pay for some town employees fell below the median range in the other towns. Marion’s building commissioner, associate assessor, COA executive director, and outreach, program, and transportation coordinators, facilities laborers, custodians, and van drivers in Marion all fall below the other towns’ maximum pay rates.

            For example, the assistant assessor, if paid the maximum amount allotted for the position, would be paid an average of $1.31 per hour less than ones in the other six comparable towns.

            “That doesn’t mean they’re being paid more than them now,” said Colton. “The goal is to get everyone inside the same range,” Colton said.

            Still, McGrail said, most Marion employees “fall within the range” of the other towns.

            Over at the DPW, Colton said, Marion pays its employees higher than the median pay rates of the other towns, except for its laborers which is slightly below the average, “but not bad,” said Colton.

            DPW clerical positions, union positions, are apparently paid significantly above the maximum and median hourly pay, but Colton said he does not recommend a new salary schedule for clerical. Where he does recommend changes is in public safety with firefighters, paramedics, and EMTs.

            Colton noted that Marion is one of the few towns that still rely mostly on call firefighters rather than full-timers, which means there wasn’t a reliable comparison town in that regard.

            Five main recommendations topped Colton’s presentation: 1. Establish a non-union, seven-grade classification plan to replace individual contracts; 2. Seek, through collective bargaining, a separate four-grade classification plan for DPW workers; 3.Create three pay grades for call firefighters, EMTs, and paramedics with one for each classification; 4. Seek no changes to the clerical pay plan; and 5. Continue to employ police and fire chiefs with individual employment contracts.

            Colton offered three additional “general” recommendations to the town, including establishing a Human resources Bylaw that will legally establish the classification and compensation system. He further recommended implementing minimum and maximum compensation rates through a 15-step schedule that allows for a 2-percent pay raise each year. The third recommendation is that incumbent employees should be placed in the step closest to their current pay rate that provides a pay increase, not a decrease.

            “We never recommend cutting anybody’s pay,” Colton said.

            Employees would move through the new step system annually based on merit. Individual contracts would end, and the town would revise the plan every three to five years.

            “The easiest things for us to do is work toward looking at the non-union job descriptions and getting you on board with those,” McGrail told the selectmen, as the union employee positions might be more complicated and take longer.

            According to McGrail, six non-union employee contracts expired on June 30, so the town will attempt to place these six positions under the new policy.

            Selectman Norm Hills mentioned that the town’s existing Personnel Policy might give some teeth to the new system without the need for an actual comprehensive bylaw and allow for a “selectmen’s policy” of sorts.

            “There’s some significant change here, there’s no question about it,” McGrail said. “I think it’s a good plan. This is a huge undertaking for us.”

            “I think what you’re doing is a good idea,” said Finance Committee Chairman Peter Winters. “I know we’ve been … advocating for this move for some time…”

            The new system would give structure without having to hire a human resources director, said Selectman John Waterman.

            “We can do all this with our own authority” Waterman said.

            Also during the meeting, without any prior public discussion, the selectmen were unanimous in their approval to adjust the term lengths of current Zoning Board of Appeals members in order to stagger them to one reappointment per year, and appointed Christina Frangos as a new ZBA member with a five-year term to expire in 2024, and current ZBA Chairman Marc LeBlanc for just a one-year term to expire in 2020.

            “We want to get back to what the bylaw requires, which is one comes up each year,” said Selectman Norm Hills.

            The board voted to extend the term of newly appointed ZBA member Margie Baldwin, changing her term expiration from 2020 to 2021, and also the term of ZBA member David Bramley, extending it to 2023 instead of expiring in 2022.

            After the vote, former ZBA member of over two years, Kate Mahoney, spoke in defense of LeBlanc after reading a news article on the comments Marion resident Peter Douglas made attacking LeBlanc’s integrity after Leblanc’s August 20 interview.

            “I have felt, since watching [Douglas’] actions on the zoning board … that he has a personal vendetta against Mr. LeBlanc.” She continued, “While I may not have voted in the same way that [LeBlanc] did … I never in any way saw him be unprofessional … or sway anyone’s vote…. I never in any way saw the character that Mr. Douglas referred to in his comments.”

            Finally, she said, “There is integrity on the zoning board and I think that many of Mr. Douglas’ comments were unfounded.”

            In other matters, the board held interviews with three candidates for an appointment to the Upper Cape Cod School Committee – Cynthia Callow, Christine Marcolini, and John Menzel – and ultimately appointed Christine Marcolini.

            Susan Connor and Adam Murphy were appointed as Inspectors of Animals, a state designation.

            The next meeting of the Marion Board of Selectmen is scheduled for September 3 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Town House.

Marion Board of Selectmen

By Jean Perry

South Coast Children’s Chorus

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Come and join the South Coast Children’s Chorus for our upcoming season. The group is open to all students from grades 1-12. We have two groups, a preparatory chorus and an advanced chorus, that perform throughout the community. This chorus provides students with an outlet for expressing themselves in an artistic way through choral singing.

            Rehearsals take place on Tuesday nights, 5:30 pm – 6:15 pm (prep chorus) and 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm (advanced chorus) at Our Sister’s School in New Bedford. New singers are accepted to the group during the first three rehearsals. Our first rehearsal will take place on Tuesday, September 17.

            Full and partial scholarships are available. The cost of membership is $175 per singer in the prep chorus and $300 per singer in the advanced chorus. All young singers who are interested are encouraged to apply and audition for the group.

            To register, visit our website at www.singsouthcoast.org.

            For more information contact: SCCCsings@gmail.com; also, visit us on Facebook ​southcoastchildrenschorus.

Edward A. Scholter

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Edward A. Scholter passed away on August 24, 2019 at the age of 82. Edward was born on April 15, 1937 in Homestead, Pennsylvania to Anthony and Sara(Schofield) Scholter. He served in the Navy for 4 years. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Education from Northeastern University and his Mechanical and Electrical Engineering degree from Wentworth University. Most of his career was spent as a partner at Thompson Consultants Inc. He also spent many years at Titleist as an Engineer and Head of Maintenance . On January 2, 1960 he married Elizabeth “Bette” Willis. They raised two children, Ellen and Eric, in Mattapoisett. 

            Ed had a passion for building and tinkering on his Jeep CJ7 in his garage with classical music playing. When he was not in the garage, he was in his wood working shop building many pieces of art. 

            Ed is survived by his wife Bette, daughter Ellen Scholter, Ellen’s children, Justin Gracia, Ethan Gracia and Anya Walker. His son Eric Scholter and his wife Kim Rasmussen-Scholter and their son Evan Scholter. He has a sister Loretta and her husband James Briscoe of Pennsylvania. 

            A celebration of life gathering will be held on Thursday, August 29th at the New Bedford Whaling Museum on Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford at 4:00 to 7:00pm. 

            In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the charity of your choice.