Broadway Tunes Concert

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Tap your feet to lively songs from a variety of Broadway Musicals. The Occasion Singers, under the direction of Cassandra Morgan, bring their unique talents and harmonies to concert goers during this special concert. 

            Songs from favorite Broadway musicals such as Gypsy, Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, Cabaret, Wizard of Oz, Sound of Music, The Wiz, Anything Goes, West Side Story, and so many more will fill the afternoon with music, laughter and song!

            The concert will be held on Sunday, May 5at 2:00 pm at The First Congregational Church of Marion Community Center, 144 Front Street (rear of parking lot). Profits from the concert go to support the programs and missions of The First Congregational Church of Marion. 

            With cabaret seating, concert goers may bring their own appetizers, picnic lunch, and beverages. “Adult” beverages are allowed, if drinking responsibly. Light snacks are also included in the ticket price of $25.00 per person. 

            Advance tickets may be purchased by credit card through the church website at: marionfirstchurch.org and clicking on the Broadway Tunes Concert link. If you have questions or need any more information, call the church office at 508-748-1053 (Tuesday from 9:00 am – 1:00 pm and Wednesday – Friday from 9:00 am – 2:00 pm). 

            Purchase your tickets early because this will be the concert of the spring season! If not sold out, tickets will be available at the door by credit card, check, or cash. 

            Come to the Broadway Tunes Concert on Sunday, May 5 at 2:00 pm on the second floor of The First Congregational Church Community Center, 144 Front Street, Marion. No wheelchair access. This building is located at the rear of the Marion General Store parking lot. See you there.

Academic Achievements

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Hannah Guard of Marion, Massachusetts, was recently initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society. Guard is pursuing degrees in Biochemistry and Psychology at University of Massachusetts.

            Lillian McIntire of Mattapoisett, Elise Parker of Mattapoisett, and Emily Josephson, Rochester were named to the 2018 fall semester dean’s list at Simmons Universityin Boston. To qualify for dean’s list status, undergraduate students must obtain a grade point average of 3.5 or higher, based on 12 or more credit hours of work in classes using the letter grade system.

ZBA Issues Special Permit for Converse Road

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            After months of deliberation and numerous public hearings, the Marion Zoning Board of Appeals issued a special permit Thursday night to Mark Ross and Margot Mims for their project at 195c Converse Road.

            The applicants proposed to elevate an existing house to make it FEMA compliant, using the same footprint of the prior house, except for an extension of a deck off the south side of the building.

            The existing non-conformity is the 14-foot setback to the northern property line.

            The applicants’ attorney, John Markey, stated that there had been no change to the proposal since the February meeting, but cautioned the board to reference only the correspondence they had received pertaining to the current plan, dated January 29. He argued that the proposal does not increase the non-conformity, since the structure is not moving closer to the property line, only moving laterally along it.

            At a previous hearing, both the Planning Board and an abutter, Caroline Elkins of 195a Converse Road, suggested the board should consider the zoning bylaw section that governs the Flood Hazard District when considering this proposal, since the existing structure is located partially within the V zone.

            The board spent considerable time grappling with the bylaw section that states, “In the case of lots created before the date of enactment of this bylaw and with areas both in the Velocity Zone and outside the Velocity Zone, all structures built after the enactment of this bylaw shall be located in the area outside the Velocity Zone. If this area is not sufficient to allow for the required zoning setbacks, the applicant may apply for a variance to allow lesser setbacks. The only exceptions are seawalls, piers, groins, wharves, weirs and similar structures.”

            The board wasn’t sure if the raising and extension of the structure should be considered new construction under this bylaw, and Elkins’ attorney, Marc Deshaies, argued because the property is located within the Flood Hazard District, and because the applicant has the ability to build outside the V zone, that section does apply. Elkins, through her attorney, provided a letter to the board, which stated in part that the bylaw states “no new construction of any sort may be built in the Marion Velocity Zone.”

            [T]he only available option is to build outside the Velocity zone,” wrote Elkins.” This option is available to [Ross and Mims], as their property includes ample area for construction fully outside the Velocity zone.”

            Markey asserted, “[The existing house is] lawfully in existence … therefore not a structure being built, but modified.” He added that the setbacks already are nonconforming, but will not become more nonconforming.

            Nonconforming structures in existence before the 1999 zoning bylaw may be governed by the old setback requirements.

            “Arguably, you could be [increasing the nonconformity] if you are extending the structure, increasing the size of the nonconformity,” said Carboni. “Anytime you increase the size of a nonconforming structure on a nonconforming lot, [you are] increasing the nonconformity.” She urged the board to first examine the applicability of the bylaw, and underscored that, since the lot has area both in and out of the V zone, that section 203-8.1E2 (no new construction in a V zone) applied, but that the board could look at other sections to inform their decision and to understand the intent of the bylaws.

            ZBA member Tad Wollenhaupt reiterated that section 230-8.1E1 states “no new construction of any sort” in the Marion Velocity zone.

            Carboni remarked that this was for lots entirely within the V zone, and could be used to “shed light” on the decision, but does not apply directly to the current application.

            Building Commissioner Scott Shippey, Carboni stated, has said that a property owner is allowed, by right, to raise a structure to make it FEMA compliant.

            The board discussed the applicability and merits of the different sections of the bylaw, but Carboni steered them back to 8.1E2, and advised them to “come to consensus” about the question of whether the construction was “new” or not, in order to move on to section 230-6.1, which allows construction within the V zone only when impossible to build outside of it. Carboni allowed that, if the board was trying to understand if the intent of the bylaw was to not allow any structure in the V zone, another section, 8.1E4, seemed to say construction is allowed.

            Carboni said she found section 8.1E2 as “ambiguous” and that it could be interpreted either way. Section 8.1E4 contemplates construction in the V zone, including improvements, and it could be defensible to interpret 8.1E2 in a similar way.

            “If the board finds it permissible,” Carboni said, “then you go to 6.1 for expansion of a nonconforming structure.”

            Leblanc also wanted the January 29 plan to go back before the Conservation Commission.

            Ultimately, the ZBA found that the proposed construction does not violate any provision of section 230-8.1 of the bylaw, and approved the special permit under section 6.1, stating that the proposed expansion is not substantially more detrimental than the existing structure.

            Also during the meeting, the board denied a variance for Wayne and Bonnie Camara, 222 Point Road, to build a two-car attached garage with less than the required setbacks. David Davignon, of N. Douglas Schneider & Associates, submitted the “shape of lot” criteria as the evidence for a hardship, as required for a variance. The board responded to this assertion by suggesting that the Camaras could relieve the hardship by simply building a smaller garage.

            John and Jessica Peters, 20 South Street, were a no-show for their proposal for a special permit for setback relief for a gazebo and swimming pool; their abutters, however, asked questions and viewed the plans.

            Leblanc asked what the options were for the board if the applicant didn’t show up again. Carboni noted that the board could close the hearing, but acknowledged that it was “uncharacteristic of this professional (Anthi Frangiadis) to not show up.” The hearing was continued to May 2.

            The next meeting of the Marion Zoning Board of Appeals is scheduled for April 18 at 6:30 pm in the Marion Town House.

Marion Zoning Board of Appeals

By Sarah French Storer

ORRHS ‘Knit OR Crochet Club’ Spreads Warmth

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            In May of 2018 during a Bulldog Block in Señora Carreira’s Spanish classroom, Lily Govoni, Class of 2019 at Old Rochester Regional High School, expressed her desire to create a knitting club to teach other students how to knit. Lily is a very kind and talented student, and Señora Carreira did not hesitate to say, “Let’s do it!” The idea was to have a group of students share patterns and spend time in a calming activity to help reduce the stress that many students experience in high school.

            Together, they gathered ideas and yarn from their own old projects, and formalized their thoughts. By the end of September, they had already spoken with many students and came up with the perfect name: “Knit OR Crochet Club.”

            The first idea that came to Lily’s mind was to use the club to help others. Next, the club was approved to be a community service opportunity,and they began to work on the logo and advertisement of the club. During the ORRHSClubs Fairin the fall of 2019, many students expressed excitement about joining the “Knit OR Crochet Club.” The first meeting was held October 3, 2018, with 24 students. Currently, there are 12 regular knitters and many other students who come when the academic load allows. The club has met every Friday during Bulldog Block.

            “It is amazing how well the kids work together,” said Carreira. “They arrive with a lot of enthusiasm and love to knit. Many students have taken projects to complete at home and many have come up with different ideas. We all have learned from each other. Everyone is welcome!” 

            After the club was established and began to grow, they were in need of more materials, including crochet and knitting needles, to keep on working. Some students began knitting with pencils and needed more yarn to keep working.

            The knitting club presented the idea to the Student Council at ORR, hoping to be awarded some money to buy what they desperately needed. Student Council opened a spot in its meeting agenda and, after the students finished their presentation, the Student Council voted “yes” with a unanimous consent, allotting $200 for the club to buy more supplies.

            With the materials, and after four months of work, students were able to complete 44 hats, 13 scarves, 12 headbands, and three pairs of mittens.

            On Wednesday, March 20, some of the students brought the handmade donations to the Extreme Weather Overflow Shelter at Sister Rose House in New Bedford, where residents and volunteers received them with a very warm welcome. Shelter Volunteer Coordinator Robin Muise had the students introduce themselves, and then everyone gathered to pick their handmade items. It was a very special moment for all of them, filled with lots of compliments and appreciation for the students’ handiwork.

            “The Knit OR Crochethas amazing kids with big hearts,” Carreira said. “I am very fortunate to be the person supporting their great ideas and I am very proud of them! I believe this is only the beginning. We plan on keep on knitting so we can make another donation in November of 2019 before the weather gets extremely cold. Now, we want to learn how to make gloves.”

            But the club needs the community’s help with acquiring some more yarn and supplies to continue the community service.

            “We appreciate all donations of yarn you may find at home [or on sale while you’re shopping] so we can continue fulfilling our goal of helping those who experience the uncomfortable feeling of being cold in the winter months,” said Carreira on behalf of the entire club.

            Please contact Diana Carreira, or bring the donations to the Main Office at ORRHS. Any knitting and croqueting materials are welcome, and the students will make more beautiful projects with your help.Thank you very much in advance for your support.

Submitted by ORRHS Staff

Rochester Women’s Club Earth Day Clean-up

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The Rochester Women’s Club will be sponsoring the Annual Town-wide clean up again this year. This year we will be located at the First Congregational Church of Rochester (FCCR). The Rochester Women’s Club will have a booth at the FCCR’s Easter Carnival. The Easter Carnival at the Congregational Church is taking the place of the Plumb Corner Easter Eggstravaganza and will be held on Saturday, April 20from 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm.

            Come and find us at our booth where we will supply garbage bags for our clean up participants and bubbles for the kids. You can again, clean up your street or any other street you might want to do. Leave your bags by the road and the Rochester Highway Department will pick them up as soon as possible. Please join us in an effort to clean up our litter. Rochester is our beautiful town. Please participate in our effort and also bring the kids to the Easter Carnival. Many fun activities, popcorn, hot dogs, cotton candy, ice cream, prizes, and the Eater Bunny. The Rochester Police Department Fill-a-cruiser Food Drive for Damien’s Pantry will also be there.

Earth Day Trash Bash!

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Streets will be cleaned and closets cleared as the Marion Cub Scouts Pack 32 and Marion Boy Scouts Troop 32 join forces with GiftstoGive, the Marion Recreation Department, and Marion Department of Public Works for a spring cleaning! Please join us when we rally at Washburn Park on Saturday, April 27 from 8:00 am – 11:00 am. (Rain date is April 28th at the same time) Participants will be given trash bags, recycling bags, gloves, and be provided with a yellow vest. Assignments will be handed out and participants will clear the trash and other debris left from winter.

            In addition to cleaning up our streets, spring clean up includes cleaning out our closets! The GiftstoGive truck will be at Washburn Park from 8:30 am -12:00 pm collecting new and gently used children’s items. (please see their website for details about items they accept www.giftstogive.org/)

            After participants finish the town-wide clean, all community members are invited to celebrate the season by joining the Sippican Land Trust (SLT) back at Washburn Park from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm. Scouts will be joining the SLT at their Spring Festival and will host a recycling art project sponsored by the Marion Cultural Council, an information booth about scouting, an inflatable archery range for our younger citizens, alongside several other activities for community members of all ages including performances by the Toe Jam Puppet Band and the Sippican School Festival Band along with face painting, crafts, and walks lead by the SLT.

April Vacation Programs at Plumb Library

Sippican Historical Society

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In 1998, the Sippican Historical Society commissioned an architectural survey of Marion’s historic homes and buildings. The survey was funded one-half by the Sippican Historical Society and one-half by the Massachusetts Historical Commission. Due to the limits of funding, not all of the historic buildings were surveyed, but over 100 were catalogued and photographed. The results of the survey are in digital form on the Massachusetts Historical Commission’s website and in four binders in the Sippican Historical Society’s office (and at the Marion Town Clerk’s office).

            Marion (Old Rochester) is one of the oldest towns in the United States, and the Sippican Historical Society maintains an extensive collection of documentation on its historic buildings. The Sippican Historical Society will preview one building a week so that the residents of Marion can understand more about its unique historical architecture.

            This installment features 28 Cottage Street. The handsome, substantial home at 28 Cottage Street blends characteristics of the Queen Anne, Shingle, and Colonial Revival styles. Enclosed by a broad gambrel roof, the original open center porch exhibits chamfered posts. This home was built for Harvey W. Everest, a real estate agent.

The Elephant in the Room

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To the Editor:

            It’s Time for Marion To Deal with The Elephant in the Room

            “You can deal with this!” This is what my children tell me when I am faced with unpleasant tasks and expenses. Marion, we need to deal with neglect and mismanagement of our Town assets. These costs have come home for payment. There is really no choice if you continue living in Marion. 

            We all have an ownership interest in the common community assets base: buildings, equipment, water, sewer, and roads. These assets need to be replaced, maintained, and repaired. Without capital spending, the Town’s infrastructure effectively dies from lack of capital nourishment. This is the result of years of unfunded accumulated depreciation and deferred maintenance. The longer investment is deferred the more it costs. These are not special interest projects looking to raid the community treasury. 

            For the first time in a decade, Marion has a majority board of selectmen competent and capable to form a leadership base to get Marion back on track after a train wreck. The help wanted sign is out for capable and experienced citizens to volunteer for boards and committees to run and manage our community. 

            The selectmen are not only dealing with significant asset management issues but EPA regulatory compliance deadlines and contentious litigations with the Buzzards Bay Coalition. The Selectmen are tasked with the extraordinary event of rebuilding the senior management team with a new Town Administrator, DPW Director, and Treasurer Tax Collector. These guys could use community help and support in managing and minimizing the adverse consequence of all work necessary to start cleaning up this mess. 

            Monday, May 13 is the annual Town Meeting. This is the time we gather as a collective body to determine how we will run our community, make choices, set priorities, spending, and then vote on the due’s assessment. Yes, there is a forecasted 7.78% tax impact in addition to adverse adjustments in water and sewer rates.

            Town Meeting will deal with $40.8 million of spending authorizations, approvals, and commitments for fiscal year 2020. 

            First $29.1 million is for the three operating budgets: Town $23.7 million, sewer $3.1 million, and water $2.2 million. This is financed by taxes and enterprise fund user fees. 

            Second $11.7 is capital spending; including $3.5 from money on hand; sewer $5.1 million and water $3.1 million. There are also $1.2 million of Community Preservation Act projects for approval including $800,000 to start work on the Town House. Debt authorizations are $8 million to carry water and sewer project financing.

            Public Information Meetings are scheduled for Music Hall April 18, spending, and May 9, trash issues and warrant articles. 

Ted North, Marion

            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.

ConCom to Support MLT Land Purchase Article

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            Mike Huguenin of the Mattapoisett Land Trust (MLT) on April 8 gave the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission an informal presentation on the 128-acre site the MLT is in the process of purchasing from members of the Hiller family.

            Known as the Pine Island Watershed Land Project, the property has three important aspects worthy of conservatorship, Huguenin said.

            First and foremost is the highly recognized wildlife habitat, which Huguenin described as part of a “key corridor” for all wildlife in the region. Second, he recognized the recreational opportunities that the now private thickly vegetated property could potentially offer. The third, Huguenin said, is the historical aspect of the land.

            According to Huguenin, the summer home of Oliver Wendell Holmes was located along part of the acreage in question.

            Huguenin said that the purchase price of $1.5 million could be part of a three-way partnership, and that a warrant article was being prepared to ask for voter support at the Annual Town Meeting. That partnership, he explained, would find the MLT raising $500,000 from private donations, another $500,000 from Mattapoisett’s Community Preservation Committee via a bond and levy program, and the Buzzards Bay Coalition would coordinate with the MLT with grant applications.

            Huguenin also said that he hoped the ConCom would be willing to hold the conservation restriction on the property in partnership with the BBC.

             “We absolutely support projects of this sort,” Conservation Commission Chairman Michael King stated. “We are happy to support you.”

The commission approved a motion to send a letter to the MLT formally giving the commission’s support.

            Also during the meeting, recent activities was discussed. Spring is in the air! Trees and flowers are budding, bird songs fill the air, and the rousing sound of a backhoe illegally removing soil from jurisdictional wetlands easily caught the attention of residents who promptly reported the activity to the Conservation Agent Elizabeth Leidhold.

            “You know it’s spring,” Leidhold said after giving her report to the commission – a report filled with various unpermitted activities.

            The first complaint on the list involved Brandt Point Village. Leidhold said she found the mandated turtle fencing in severe decline, and layers of trash mixed with soils are carpeting areas of the beleaguered subdivision.

            Leidhold said that the Planning Board had been unable to get the developer, Marc Marcus of Omega Financial, to respond to the board’s numerous requests for answers, so Leidhold was unsure how successful she would be in contacting him regarding conservation issues.

            King instructed Leidhold to send Marcus a letter listing the problems and requesting a plan to remediate them.

            Next on the list were problems with the erosion controls along the Water & Sewer Department’s directional drilling project in the Point Connet and Pease’s Point beach communities being performed by drilling subcontractor John Cardillo. Erosion control was one of several conditions placed on the construction work by the Conservation Commission.

            King said the office would send a letter indicating the issue must be corrected and returned to compliance with the permit.

            In a matter reported as the digging out of a pond off North Street in the Captain Lane’s area, Leidhold said a son of the primary property owner in the area, Vera Gibbons, reported that a backhoe was being used to excavate material in a vernal pool and stream.

            Although Leidhold knew the name of the person doing the work, she stated, “I don’t want to say who it is.”

            King again believed the activity worthy of formal notification listing all jurisdictional areas being impacted, type of unpermitted activity, and a request for the parties involved to make an appearance and discuss the matter with the commissioners.

            In another matter where names were not spoken aloud, Leidhold said neighbors in the Shore Drive and Center Street beach community complained of trails being constructed in marshlands. King asked her to engage town counsel for what action the commission could take to stop and prevent further damage to the wetlands.

            (*The Wanderer was unable to reach Leidhold before press time to document the names she withheld of those responsible for the alleged violations. Those names will be published in the April 18 edition of The Wanderer, pending Leidhold’s cooperation.)

            In other business, a Request for Determination of Applicability submitted by Matthew Souza and Gregory Vergotz, 9 Avenue A, for minor exterior improvements to an existing residence received a Negative determination

            James Babbitt, 40 Marion Road, received a Negative determination for his RDA for the installation of a shed on a concrete pad.

            A Notice of Intent filing by Paula Coffey, 64 Shore Road, to demolish a structure and construct a new home was approved.

            A request for an extension to an existing order of conditions was granted to L.C. Grant, Marina Drive.

            Continued until April 22 was a Notice of Intent filing for a subdivision project known as Eldridge Estates of Prospect Road, by Scott Snow. The commission was satisfied with updates to the plan of record, including sewer and septic plans, but the applicant wished for the commission to make its decision after Snow’s next meeting with the Planning Board.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission is scheduled for April 22 at 6:30 pm in the Mattapoisett Town Hall conference room.

Mattapoisett Conservation Commission

By Marilou Newell

Richard William Marx

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Richard William Marx of Marion, known to friends as “Rich,” passed away unexpectedly at the age of 68 on April 1, 2019, while on a family vacation in Turks and Caicos.

            Rich is survived by his wife of 43 years, Kathleen (Dougherty) Marx; daughter Lauren M. Fleming and her husband Bill; son Richard J. Marx and his wife Leslie; as well as his beloved grandchildren, Libby M. Fleming and Ellis J. Marx. He is also survived by his mother Elsie M. Marx, brothers Jack and Robert, a large extended family, and numerous friends.

            Born and raised in Philadelphia, PA, Rich graduated from Northeast High School. He went on to earn his electrical engineering degree from Penn State University. He then served his country as a member of the Army National Guard for six years. As he started a successful career in software engineering, he completed a masters in systems engineering from Widener University and business management studies at Harvard University.

            In 1982, Rich’s career and love for the water brought him to Marion, where he built a home for his growing family. Always happiest sharing time on his boat with family and friends, when Rich wasn’t sailing, you would find him using his skills to help with one of the many projects he took on at home or in the community.

            A memorial service will be held on April 27, 2019, at 2:00 pm at Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home For Funerals, 50 County Rd., Mattapoisett, MA 02739. His family will receive guests from 1:00-2:00 pm prior to his service. Donations in Rich’s honor may be made to StopTheClot.org part of the National Blood Clot Alliance. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.