Zoning Variance Granted

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Zoning variances come in all shapes and sizes. Just ask the local board members in Mattapoisett, Chairman Susan Akin, long-time members, Tony Trafaglia, Colby Rottler, Ken Pacheco, and newer member Jordan Rodrigues.

            A quick jaunt around the internet found this explanation: zoning designations

dictate what kind of property can be built in specific areas or neighborhoods. Zoning ordinances mandate what types of structures may be built in certain areas, like commercial building or factories next to schools. That would be a no-no in nearly every city and town in the country.

            Appeals to zoning boards require that the appealing applicant prove to the board the “what, where, and why” for a structure that is being planned for an otherwise no-go location.

            If the board agrees with the applicant, a variance may be granted.

            On October 17, the Mattapoisett board heard a request for a variance for the installation of a round swimming pool at the 156 North Street property, owned by John and Bridget O’Donnell Szymczuk.

            Szymczuk explained the small 12×24’ pool setbacks don’t meet the zoning bylaw. He said that the location of the septic system and leaching field along with a very large mature maple tree make it impossible to locate the pool anywhere else on the property.

            The variance was granted.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals will be scheduled at a later date.

Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals

By Marilou Newell

ORR’s New Laser Cutter

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 The Old Rochester Regional School Committee met at 12:00 pm noon on Monday and the meeting turned into a laser show of sorts.

            The committee met only to accept three $2,000 donations from three different community members — totaling $6,000 – so the school can buy a laser cutter.

            District officials could not immediately get in touch with the community members for permission to release their names. Technology education teacher Scott McElroy said in an email that the laser cutter will be used in 12 technology courses, as well as for multiple grade levels in the high school.

            “By incorporating the laser cutter into our curriculum, we can provide students with hands-on experience in design, fabrication, and engineering,” McElroy said. “This will not only enhance their technical skills but also foster creativity and problem-solving abilities.”

            For the course “Intro to Cad and 3D Design,” the laser cutter can enable students to engrave designs on a variety of materials to create personalized items or prototypes, according to McElroy. 

            For the high school’s “Architectural Design” course, the laser cutter can be used to precisely cut out components for scaled model projects, allowing students to create highly detailed and accurate representations of their designs,” McElroy noted.

            For the school’s “Robotics and Engineering” program, students can fabricate custom parts for their robotics and engineering projects, “enabling them to experiment with unique designs and functions,” also according to McElroy. 

            “This versatile tool can enhance learning across our high school’s multiple grade levels and subject areas,” he added.

            School Committee members expressed their appreciation for the donation to make this tool a reality in the district.

            School officials also noted that these types of donations are commonplace in the Tri-town community and further enhance learning at the school.

Old Rochester Regional School Committee

By Jeffrey D. Wagner

Nothing But Victories for the Bulldogs

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            The Old Rochester Regional High School football team played at Greater New Bedford Voc/Tech on October 18 and won 39-6. They’re now 6-1, and move to a four game winning-streak. Gavin Martin had 2 rushing touchdowns, and a 71 yard touchdown pass to Henry Berry. Jack Leconte also had two rushing touchdowns. Cam Peppin had a rushing touchdown as well. It wasn’t just the offense that made the Bulldogs dominate. Jake Proffit had an interception, Sawyer Johnson had two sacks, and Chase Kuopens had a sack as well.

            “Devin St Germaine had a great all-around game contributing on offense with his running and blocking, and making several tackles on defense,” said ORR Head Coach Bryce Guilbeault.

            The Bulldogs will host Dighton-Rehoboth (0-6), on October 25 at 6:30 pm, in their homecoming game and senior night.

Girls Soccer

            The Bulldogs played at home against Apponequet on October 16, and won 4-3. Audrey Thomas scored 3 goals, Zoe Plante with 1 goal, and assists were made by Delaney Chase, Kate Thomsen, and Liz Feeney. The final goal by Audrey Thomas was within the final 15 seconds of the game, to win it for the Bulldogs. They’re now 10-3-1, and were scheduled to play at Somerset Berkley on October 23. The JV squad also played Apponequet, and won 2-0. Marley Mailloux netted both goals, with one coming from a header during a corner kick.

            “The team demonstrated excellent cohesion, even after being introduced to a new formation just a day prior,” said ORR JV Head Coach Sarah Makein.

            They were scheduled to play at Somerset Berkley on October 23.

Boys Soccer

            Old Rochester played at Apponequet on October 16, and won 1-0. Grady Oliveira scored, assisted by Aidan Costa. Their record is now 11-2-1, and they’ve won 10 straight games. They were scheduled to host Somerset Berkley (9-5), on October 23.

Field Hockey

            Old Rochester played Wareham on October 17, and won 8-0. Defensive player Kelsi Chick was named the player of the game, scoring her first goal. The win brings their record to 5-4-6. They were scheduled to play at Wareham on October 22.

Girls Volleyball

            The Bulldogs played Apponequet on October 16 while celebrating senior night, and won 3-0. Set scores were 25-10, 25-12, and 25-18. The players of the game were all of the seniors, Aubrie Letourneau, Cami Van Ness, Jocelyn Pires, Caroline Brogioli, and Hannah Eaton. They’re now 15-2, and were scheduled to play their final game of the regular season at Joseph Case on October 23.

Sports Roundup

By Aiden Comorosky

Sunday at the Rochester Historical Society

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This Sunday, October 27, from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm, the Rochester Historical Society Museum will be open. In addition to the exhibit, the shop will be open. There are cranberries, both dried and fresh for $2.50/qt. bag as well as Rochester books, maps, hats and tees. We also have a selection of 4 different style Rochester sweatshirts; crewneck, 1/4 zip, hoodie, and full zip hooded. Now is a good time to buy or order for Christmas.

Christmas on Church Street

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The Mattapoisett Congregational Church’s annual Holiday Fair will be held on Saturday, December 7 from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm in Reynard Hall at 27 Church Street in Mattapoisett. This year’s event will include homemade frozen foods, baked treats, hand knitted and crafted items, Christmas/holiday decorations, gift items, greenery for wreaths as well as jewelry, silent auction items, a kids’ table, and a delicious hot soup luncheon. All proceeds benefit the ministries of the Mattapoisett Congregational Church. For additional information, please contact the church office at 508-758-2671 or mattcongchurch@gmail.com.

ORRHS Appoints New Interim Assistant Principal

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Superintendent Michael S. Nelson and Old Rochester Regional High School Principal Michael Devoll are pleased to announce that Lauren Millette has been appointed interim high school assistant principal.

            Millette most recently served as the Director of Guidance for the Old Rochester Regional High School (ORRHS) and Junior High School for three years. The current ORRHS Assistant Principal, Vanessa Harvey, is moving to a different school district.

            Millette will begin in her new role on Monday, October 28.

            “I am thrilled to announce Lauren Millette as our new interim high school assistant principal. Lauren has served our students exceptionally as our director of guidance and we look forward to her continuing her positive impact in this new role,” Superintendent Nelson said. “I would also like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Vanessa Harvey for her dedication and commitment while serving as assistant principal and I wish her well in her new role.”

            Before her role as the director of guidance in the ORR district, Millette served as the assistant high school principal in Fairhaven from 2017 to 2021. She also served as freshman dean, teacher, and houseparent at Tabor Academy in Marion from 2011 to 2017. Millette began her career in education serving as a teacher in the Whitman-Hanson Regional School District from 2000 to 2011.

            “I am grateful for this new opportunity to serve the students of Old Rochester Regional School District,” Millette said. “I look forward to working together to foster a vibrant and supportive learning environment for our students.”

            Millette has a Bachelor of Science degree from Syracuse University. She received her master’s degree in counseling from Providence College and a Master of Education from Cambridge College.

            “I am very excited to be working alongside Lauren,” Principal Devoll said. “She has already established a strong rapport with many of our students and staff members at the high school level, and we look forward to having her familiar face among us as interim assistant principal.”

            “Lauren’s passion for education and commitment to our students will be invaluable in this role. Together, we look forward to achieving great things and supporting our school community,” said School Committee Chair Michelle Smith.

Three Collections of Etchings Donated

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Three important institutions in the United States have recently accepted donations of etchings done by British artist James Alphege Brewer, who made his fame producing large color etchings of European cathedrals and other historical buildings damaged or threatened during WWI.

            The donations, totaling more than 170 etchings, includes:

-a comprehensive collection of more than 130 etchings and related materials to the Archives and Distinctive Collections department of the Dinand Library of the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA.

-26 wartime etchings to the National WWI Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, MO.

-21 etchings of architectural views to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

            The etchings are a gift of Benjamin S. Dunham, a retired arts administrator and journalist, and his wife, flutist Wendy Rolfe, whose widowed great-grandmother married the artist’s brother John Francis Brewer, the long-time organist of the Church of the Immaculate Conception in London, England. James Alphege Brewer (1881-1946) was born in the Kensington section of London. He was the son of Henry W. Brewer, noted artist of historical architecture and prominent convert to the Catholic Church, and the grandson of scholar John Sherren Brewer, Jr., editor of the multi-volume Letters and Papers of the Reign of Henry VIII. His great uncle was E. Cobham Brewer, the polymath who compiled Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable and authored numerous other important reference works.

            The J. Alphege Brewer Collection at Holy Cross includes etchings from every period of Brewer’s career, including “West Front of Ratisbon Cathedral,” thought to be his first etching exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1909, to one of his last, “Bruges (Quai de Rosaire),” dated 1939. Also represented are examples of the etchings published during WWI and some from Brewer’s luminous Blue Hour series from the early 1920s.

            Two of the etchings in the donation to the National WWI Museum and Memorial, dating from late 1914—the “West Front of Rheims Cathedral” and “The Rose Windows, Rheims Cathedral”—were widely reproduced by American printers during WWI and proudly hung on parlor walls in solidarity with the Allied cause and as a remembrance of the devastating cultural losses inflicted by the onslaught of war.

            “Wendy and I are extremely pleased to know that Brewer’s etchings will be available to future art researchers at these three distinguished locations,” said Dunham, a member of the Association of Print Scholars and the Historians of British Art. Dunham created a website devoted to the artist’s life and work: www.jalphegebrewer.info. His book, Etched in Memory: The Elevated Art of J. Alphege Brewer, was drawn from the website and published in 2021 by Peacock Press in Mytholmroyd, United Kingdom.

            Abigail Stambach, Head of Archives and Distinctive Collections at Holy Cross, said, “The J. Alphege Brewer Collection of etchings is a wonderful addition to our library. It is an excellent complement to some of our existing collections and will be a valuable resource to the Holy Cross community and other researchers.”

            Christopher A. Warren, Chief Curator of the National WWI Museum and Memorial, where a selection of Brewer’s WWI etchings were exhibited in 2019-20, welcomed the donation: “The museum is honored to house Brewer’s wartime etchings. They are truly remarkable, and it’s a one-of-a-kind collection.”

            Nadine Orenstein, Head of the Department of Prints and Drawings of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Femke Speelberg, its Curator of Historic Ornament, Design, and Architecture, wrote, “The Met is delighted with the donation of these etchings by James Alphege Brewer. A true Monuments Man in print, Brewer was not yet represented in the collection of Drawings and Prints. The high technical complexity he aspired to make them a welcome addition to our collection.”

Zoning Board Receives Quick Turn-Around

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A mere week after re-drawn plans were requested to satisfy board members’ questions, in a single-issue meeting on October 17, Rochester’s Zoning Board of Appeals granted a variance to allow the construction of a 30×71-foot steel storage building with a 12×30 covered ‘patio’ at 173 County Road.

            On October 10, board members told property owner Dwight Crosby they needed updated drawings of his proposal to build a steel structure to house his boat, RV, and other personal possessions near an existing cranberry bog.

            In record time, the board received the answer to its request: an updated design plan that includes a driveway that will support the weight of the vehicles Crosby will be driving into the carport. Chair David Arancio had explained on October 10 that the board needs the full plans in front of them before granting the variance, because to be without this would only enable any legal challenge to the board’s vote.  He also cautioned Crosby that all easements need to be shown on the plan. For example, one abutter across the street is in Wareham.

            On October 17, the board approved Crosby’s plan after refining the permit conditions drafted at its last meeting.  The structure shall be for dry storage only. It shall not be used for commercial use, nor for housing animals, nor for residential use.

            Arancio noted a letter from neighbor Thomas Barboza stating he had no problem with Crosby’s plan. The resulting approval vote was unanimous, 5-0.

            Earlier in the meeting, Arancio said the board’s next meeting will be November 14 and the meeting after that will be December 12 if the panel receives enough petitions to support that schedule.

            The Zoning Board of Appeals’ next regular meeting will be Thursday, November 14 at 7:15 pm at Town Hall, 1 Constitution Way.

Rochester Zoning Board of Appeals

By Michael J. DeCicco

Saving The Sea Turtles

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Once again, the Marion Natural History Museum hosted an informative and thought-provoking speaker bringing real-time urgency to all creatures great and small as they fight to survive.

            The October 19 event featured Karen Dourdeville, Sea Turtle Research Coordinator for the Massachusetts Audubon of Cape Cod. Armed with taxidermy examples of turtles and many decades of dedicated service to the cause of public awareness, Dourdeville’s presentation was both entertaining and poignant.

            There are four main types of sea turtles in and around Cape Cod Bay, and, to a lesser degree Buzzards Bay. They are Kemp’s Ridley, Loggerhead, Green, and Leatherback. All are listed by Mass Audubon as critically endangered, threatened, or endangered.

            Mass Audubon conducts field data collection, much of which is enabled by some 200 trained volunteers whose efforts to find stranded turtles has produced hundreds of happy endings over the years. Unhappy endings include collecting victims of boat strikes or cold stunning and necrotizing their bodies. An important data collection process is also to ascertain why the turtle died and washed ashore.

            These gentle, air breathing reptiles spend much of their early years following the Gulf Stream (think surfer dude Crush from Finding Nemo). When they are mature enough to reproduce, the Earth’s magnetism is used to triangulate them back to their birthplace.

            Recreational boat strikes rank high on the list for killing sea turtles. The reptiles are hard to see and have to rise to the surface to breathe. Turtles also rest on top of the salt water tides and are nearly impossible to visually detect.

            Educating the boating public is an urgent matter Dourdeville stated. If boaters know they are sharing the local bays with turtles that can grow to over 1,000 pounds, they may be more cautious.

            Then there are those troublesome plastic bags. Dourdeville said that plastic bags floating just below the surface of the sea move and look like jellyfish – a turtle’s favorite food.

            Mass Audubon has been engaged in trying to find ways to minimize fishing gear entanglements, especially those used by commercial fishermen. Dourdeville told of horrific drowning deaths when ropes used to secure lobster traps wrap around the air breathing animals.

            Dourdeville was hopeful, however. She believes that by educating the public the turtles may be able to fight their way back from the brink of extinction.

            To contact Mass Audubon if you find a stranded turtle call hotline number 888-732-8878. To learn more about ongoing research and programs visit massaudubon.org.

By Marilou Newell

Upcoming Events at the Elizabeth Taber Library

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Celebrate Halloweekend, Thursday, October 24 toSaturday, October 26. Check out a pumpkin with your library card all month long (while Supplies last.) Return your decorated pumpkin by Wednesday, October 23 to be entered into our Great Pumpkin Contest. Vote for your favorites during our Halloweekend celebration activities. Are you brave enough to explore the library’s first ever mini haunted library? What ghouls will you meet as you wind your way through our haunted stacks? Visit Thursday- Saturday to find out.

            On Thursday, October 24 students ages for ages 9+ can make some Halloween Boba after school from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm, then join us for costume karaoke starting at 6:00 pm for food, fun, and music for all ages.

            On Friday, October 25 from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm kids ages 5-9 can make Halloween decorations that light up at Pumpkin Paper circuits with Miss Macy.

            On Saturday, October 26 everyone is invited to play at our Boo Bash Games event from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm for a Halloween Scavenger Hunt, spooky sensory bags, a mummy race, and more. At 1:00 pm join us for adult crafts with Emily to make Fall Book Centerpieces. This craft project is recommended for ages 12 and up.

            Join Miss Macy for story times every Tuesday and Thursday starting at 10:30 am.

            For more information on the Elizabeth Taber Library visit us at www.ElizabethTaberLibrary.org or call us at 508-748-1252