Solar Projects Confront Hurdles

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            Pedro Rodriguez of Solar MA Project Management LLC in New Milford, Connecticut, gained approval from the Rochester Planning Board for requested changes he made to his plan for properties located at Walnut Plain and Old Middleboro roads during the Planning Board’s March 10 meeting at the Town Hall.

            In the public hearing segment of the meeting, Planning Board Chairman Ben Bailey posed questions about the construction sequence and blasting.

            “I would like to see a construction plan that mimics our sequence,” said Bailey, reiterating stipulations previously made regarding the trimming of trees for an access entry and a site visit. “I would like to see this construction thing modified to match the written decision.”

            “We’re going to have it for sure,” said Rodriguez, who indicated that work on Old Middleboro Road will be done once affected stretches are no longer in use.

            Rodriguez was also reminded that permits and other approvals notwithstanding, blasting is not allowed without prior approval from the Planning Board. He was also asked to comply with and include in his plan stipulations related to working off-peak hours on weekends.

            Bailey also asked Rodriguez to specify the fence surrounding his work, including not only the mesh being black but also the posts.

            Rodriguez noted that the Rochester Conservation Commission will not be meeting next week so he will appear before ConCom on April 7. He described his timeline as “two or three months… sometime this summer. One of the things that we do not do is start construction before there is permitting,” he said.

            In a continued public hearing regarding a 208-unit residential development and commercial space proposed for construction at 22 Cranberry Highway, Phil Cordeiro presented an update and sought the feedback of the Planning Board with support from Ken Steen of Steen Realty and Development of Dartmouth.

            Planning Board Vice Chairman Gary Florindo offered observations about the road design inside the project, pointing to alternatives that limit throughways and result in better traffic flow.

            “Lincoln Park in Dartmouth does that,” said Florindo. “You go so far and you have to come back out.”

            Steen pointed to the constraints of the 10.3-acre space.

            “We would have liked to have sprawled this… but there was no wiggle room on the 20 units per acre,” he said. “This was by far the best layout… the courtyard to the middle.”

            Planning Board member John DiMaggio said he likes the design and the ability for a person to be able to exit the property to go to work even if there is a rescue truck, for instance, on the road. DiMaggio also asked about speedbumps, but Cordeiro said there is not sufficient runway for vehicles to gain the speed necessary to introduce speedbumps.

            Bailey asked about a second access road, without which a site visit would be pointless.

            The case was continued to the Planning Board’s next meeting on March 24.

            Informal discussion took place, as Clean Energy Collective presented its solar plan for 28 Sarah Sherman Road and Beals and Thomas presented four different plans for solar projects, on Featherbed Lane, Featherbed Lane South, Snipatuit Road, and Cushman Road.

            All the discussed plans were in developmental stages and seeking the guidance of the Planning Board where it concerned wetlands, tree clearing, fencing, and construction.

            One of the projects, a 3.7-megawatt project on a 57-acre site approximately 300 feet from Robinson Road, was altered to remove a couple of panels so that the work would not extend across the town line into Acushnet.

Rochester Planning Board

By Mick Colageo

Adult Night Out

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The Mattapoisett PTA invites the community to join us at our eighth annual “Adult Night Out” fundraiser event on Friday, April 3 at the Walrus & Captain in the Ropewalk starting at 7:00 pm. 

            Donations of raffle prizes and silent auction items are pouring in from our generous community! Items include: multi-night luxury hotel stays, golf equipment packages, multi-pound fresh seafood package, orthodontic care, dog training, children summer camps, wellness training sessions, interior design services, local restaurant gift certificates, and so much more! 

            Tickets to the event will be available at the door for $20 each. A delicious assortment of hot appetizers will be served throughout the night as well as a cash bar.

            The proceeds from this event will provide Mattapoisett students with education enrichment in the classroom including arts and humanities programs, science exploration, and additional technology exploration opportunities. Questions, comments, or willing to provide a donation? Contact ptamattapoisett@gmail.com. We thank you so much for your support and see you on Friday, April 3.

The Mystical Mute Swan

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            When we moved from Monterey to Buzzards Bay, we were within walking distance of a lighthouse that was obsolete but made into a public park called Ned’s Point.

            We were thrilled in the morning when Mute Swans went winging past our windows at dawn, to land and glide gracefully in the waters around the historic seaside landmark. Now with spring along the coastline with open waters, they will once again appear around the park as a decorative symbol to give it a mystical aura of an old-world species from across the pond.

            They were brought to this country at the beginning of the 19th century to authentically decorate our parks, estates and wildlife reservations with royal-courtyard images, formerly owned by the queen of England, on display floating on the moats around Windsor Castle. Yet they are not entirely mute but have a variety of quieter vocal expressions, much quieter than their native cousins, the bugling Trumpeter Swan.

            By the turn of the next century, they were doubling their population every 10 years, and subsequently with bad environmental habits, close to being labeled as an invasive species.

            They would tip up along the shore to reach down three feet under the water to wipe out underwater plants essential to lesser waterfowl. In addition, they can become very ornery and territorial around their nests and young. After a hissing warning alarm, called a basking, they would attack dogs or children with an injuring wing beat.

            Subsequently, in the year 2003, U.S. Fish and Wildlife proposed to reduce their numbers accordingly. However, animal rights countered that Mute Swan fossils here go back thousands of years and are proven to be indigenous and could not be reduced as invasive. They are now protected under both state and federal laws.

            They also have some very admiral qualities of exemplary well-known behavior. According to Norse mythology, they originally established their purity white reputation by drinking from the mythically pristine waters of the historical well of Urd. This cleansed their plumage and also the image of their character. They are said to mate for life, unless one of the pair dies or is somehow lost. Both male Cob and female Pen are also known to faithfully look after the young Cygnets until they are ready to choose mates themselves.

            Mute Swans make frequent appearances in Literature, such as “The Ugly Duckling” by Hans Christian Andersen. Shakespeare wrote more about love, jealousy, and revenge in swan behavior than any other poet. Tennyson wrote a ballet of a dying swan singing its own death song. And even today, Mute Swans are known to vocally mourn for themselves or others in death.

            Carolyn Longworth, the director of the Millicent Library in Fairhaven, is an avid and accurate bird watcher and reports, “A dead Cygnet was seen floating on a nearby pond, and two adults and others came over to form a circle around the dead bird. Then they all started making a mourning conversation and all pointed their heads up into the heavens.”

            At our new location, when the chilled stillness of a pale blue sky of a spring dawn is broken by the shrill clarion of a skein of Snow Geese winging high overhead towards the Arctic Circle, it is an annual sun sign that a renewed season is just over the horizon.

            Soon Mute Swans that have nested in the marshes around Eel Pond across the bay will bring their young on their backs or in tow to show them off to Ned Point park visitors. And the SouthCoast harbors will unfurl white sails on Buzzards Bay and launch their recreational flagships of spring.

By George B. Emmons

Agenda Slashed by Continuances

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            As the clock advanced towards 6:30 pm on March 9, it looked like the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission might not reach a quorum, but with two minutes to spare, Commissioner John Jacobsen sped through the door, bringing the committee members in attendance to three, along with Trevor Francis and Chairman Mike King.

            The agenda for the evening had been rather full, but as the day and time of the meeting neared, applicants were asking for continuances, bringing the hearing schedule from four to just one.

            Continued until March 23 were two Notice of Intent filings: Sandy Toes Realty for 27 Nashawena Road for the construction of a new home in the flood zone and Christine and Stephen Coughlin, 40 Prince Snow Circle, for the construction of a single-family home within the buffer zone to bordering vegetated wetlands.

            Also continued to the March 23 meeting was a Request to Amend a Notice of Intent filing by Jesse Davidson, 22 Pine Island Road, to permit changes to a plan of record.

            The commissioners did open a Notice of Intent hearing for an application filed by the Mattapoisett Land Trust and Georgia Glick for property located at Noyes Avenue and Dyar Road to remove phragmites, an invasive plant species. The non-native variety is problematic throughout the region and requires aggressive and consecutive treatments over several growing seasons to remove, said Mike Huguenin of the MTL.

            Huguenin said that salt marshes in and around the property in question were being impacted by freshwater runoff from the neighborhood. He said that he had been in discussion with property owners, “…encouraging the neighborhood to address freshwater drainage,” saying that the freshwater runoff was helping to create, “…the best-looking phragmites around.” He stated that a licensed company employing environmentally acceptable techniques and chemical compounds would be engaged and that a long-term maintenance plan would be developed.

            “We plan to do this into perpetuity,” Huguenin said, adding there was neighborhood agreement. “They are highly motivated.” The commissioners conditioned the NOI.

            A Certificate of Compliance was issued to Kelly Barley, 14 Melissa Anne Lane, with a request from the commission to clean-up trash and other discarded materials in jurisdictional areas.

            On the topic of filling open seats on the commission, Chairman Mike King introduced his new neighbor Carl Bonnell, who recently expressed interest in ways to volunteer in the community. King said he invited Bonnell after he sent a letter of interest to the Board of Selectmen regarding a slot on the commission. Bonnell said he recently purchased a home in Mattapoisett where he now lives with his family. Other family members live in nearby towns, he said.

            Bonnell shared his background, which includes being an Air Force veteran having served in Iraq, his early years growing up in Attleboro, and his career in pest control. 

            King said that a second candidate had also been invited to attend the meeting but was not present. King explained to Bonnell that the selectmen appoint members to the commission but that the commission makes its recommendations.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission is scheduled for March 23 at 6:30 pm in the town hall conference room.

Mattapoisett Conservation Commission

By Marilou Newell

Bike Path Progress

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To the Editor;

            Thank you for your coverage on Bike Path progress dated Feb 29. It’s important to note that the Friends of Mattapoisett Bike Path are writing grants for Phase 2B in the context of a Town project to upgrade Industrial Drive and a privately funded project to expand sewer service there. 

            There will be a public meeting March 18, 6:30 pm at Center School to review design of the entire project, which supports smart development (development on previously developed parcels and healthy transportation options)

            Friends are assisting with grant writing for three grants. Design is ongoing, overseen by the Town. A grant (written by SRPEDD) for road, intersection and drainage construction has been received. Construction on bike path will only proceed if construction grants for that work are received.

Bonne DeSousa

Friends of Mattapoisett Bike Path

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.

Rochester Historical Society Looks Back

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The Rochester Historical Society museum has several family scrapbooks from long time Rochester families. These scrapbooks hold a wealth of local information on a variety of topics of days gone by.  Our March monthly meeting will have these scrapbooks on display for everyone to browse through on Wednesday, March 18 at 7 pm at the museum 355 County Road.  These scrapbooks are a look into life in Rochester in a different time. 

            Some members will be bringing their personal family scrapbooks to share. Scrapbooks can be of family recipes, photos, news clipping, etc. It is interesting to see how different local news was handled in years past. People, past and present, have different interests and these scrapbooks reflect what was important to them at that particular time.

            Please free to bring your own family scrapbooks to share. There is no charge for the evening and everyone is welcome to attend.

Mattapoisett Woman’s Club

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The Mattapoisett Woman’s Club is pleased to have Diane Gilbert of the Dartmouth Heritage Preservation Trust as the speaker at our meeting on Thursday, March 19. Our meetings are held at the Mattapoisett Congregational Church’s Renyard Hall, located at the corner of Church and Mechanic Streets, beginning at 11:00 am. An informal luncheon is provided by our members. We welcome anyone who wishes to hear our speaker or attend our meetings.

            If you would like more information, please feel free to view our website, www.mattapoisettwomansclub.org, or feel free to contact Christine Voss, at 508-758-3348.

            The Little House with a Big Story to Tell – Diane Gilbert, who possesses a clear vision, courage, integrity, and humility, takes a leadership role in assisting the Town of Dartmouth to attain its community preservation goals. In November 2018, Preservation Massachusetts awarded Diane the K. Julie McCarthy Community Spirit Award for her work. 

            Ms. Gilbert will do a PowerPoint presentation showcasing a restoration project of the Elihu Akin House from the foundation up, a project that is listed on the State Register of Historic Places and deemed eligible for listing on the National Register. The Elihu Akin House, one of the oldest houses in the Town of Dartmouth, Massachusetts, was built in 1762 by housewright Job Mosher and purchased by Elihu Akin in 1769; the Akin House is older than America. The age of the house alone would give the house architectural importance; however, the house also has historical significance. The Akins were one of Dartmouth’s founding families who were instrumental in the development of the town, and the homestead remained in the Akin family for 234 years.

            The Akin House was one of a few houses that survived the invasion of the British and the subsequent burning of much of Dartmouth, New Bedford, and Acushnet during the American Revolution. As the direct result of the raid, the Akin family lost everything except the house on Potter’s Hill and surrounding land. Elihu moved his wife and children there.

            To quote Diane Gilbert, “Every time an important historic house or structure is lost or demolished, we lose another connection to our history, the people who settled our coastal areas over the centuries and their culture. We have already lost too many architecturally significant buildings and structures, and as a result, the special character shaped by our history has been diminished.” And to put it pragmatically, preservation is a tool for stabilization of property values, economic development, and sustainability.

            In 1921, the Akin House became a part of film history as a location for Down to the Sea in Ships. The silent film classic contains rare footage of a whaling voyage filmed on the Wanderer and the Charles W. Morgan, and clearly shows the condition of the Akin house in 1921.

Old Colony Cannot Expand Without New Water Tank

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            Vocational education has come a long way from its humble beginnings. Just ask Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School Superintendent-Director Aaron Polansky. Polansky met with Mattapoisett’s Capital Planning Committee on March 5 to discuss not only the changing complexion of vocational education in the 21st century, but the needs of the aging school.

            Polansky proudly stated that the school has a 99-percent graduation rate with a daily attendance rate of 97 percent. Continuing with the good news, he said that 91 percent of graduates either continue their education or secure employment in their field of study.

            Regarding college opportunities, Polansky said there are programs for students that allow them to earn articulated college credit while still in school. Today’s vocational schools have rigorous academic standards, he said, and that 68 percent of the Old Colony student body participate in more than one sport. The school has earned eight sports-related championships in the last two years.

            But there are some very real challenges ahead, given the age of the school. While the school’s reputation has increased, as programming has expanded, the school-aged living in member communities are also increasingly seeking enrollment.

            “We received 330 applications for 150 slots,” Polansky said of the coming school year. Adding more slots is not an option for the school, he said. Expansion of programming and the school’s footprint are in the conceptual expansion stages. But nothing progressive can happen until the physical needs of the school are addressed, Polansky explained.

            OCRVTHS was built in the town of Rochester in 1975 in an area of the community that is not serviced by public water supply. Polansky laid out the dire reality, expansion cannot take place until the water tank is replaced.

            The freshwater well was constructed the same year the school was built, Polansky said. The 6,000-gallon, underground water-storage tank is 10-years past its expected lifespan and now showing signs of deterioration. It needs to be replaced. Cost estimates received in 2016 for a full replacement were $73,000. Associated with the water well is the need for new water pumps. Polansky did not have replacement-cost estimates for that equipment.

            Polansky said he would be reaching out to the Massachusetts School Building Association with a letter of intent to file for a grant. The letter will outline the need for immediate financial assistance to ensure the school remains open, but he is also looking at member communities for funding.

            Mattapoisett Town Administrator Mike Gagne said that presently there is not a funding mechanism for the school’s capital needs, an issue that has also been raised with Old Rochester Regional School District. But he added that the town’s financial planning should include capital needs, stabilization plans, and the setting aside of funds that can be used to chip away at the school’s infrastructural repairs and improvements. He said that the school’s capital needs will be added to the 10-year plan, a move that has never been taken in the past.

            Other capital projects Polansky outlined include a security vestibule in the main lobby, flooring, kitchen grease traps, replacement of the public-address systems including phones, asphalt repair, and storm-water drainage systems.

            OCRVTHS’ member communities, along with Mattapoisett and Rochester, are Acushnet, Carver, Lakeville, and tuition-based slots from Freetown residents. The school offers 13 vocational programs.

            The committee also met with Henri Renauld, Water and Sewer superintendent. On the 10-year Water and Sewer Enterprise plan in the FY21 column, Renauld listed $195,000 representing water-related projects such as village water-main replacement at $150,000, $15,000 for truck replacement, and $30,000 for risk assessment. The plan in the sewer enterprise column totals $2.205 million. Planning for sewer connections on North Street from the Route 6 intersection to Industrial Drive represents $1.8 million of the total. Another $320,000 is needed for plant and piping upgrades, Renauld listed.

            Renauld discussed the possibility of utilizing his staff to tackle projects versus subcontracting the work, the latter expected to result in a much larger expense to the town. He demonstrated the point by evaluating expenses and found a difference of over $150 per foot in savings to the town. He listed prevailing wages at $181 per foot versus staff installation at $36.47 per foot in the analysis.

            Renauld said of the North Street sewer expansion, “We’ll never go over the Route 195 overpass.” He said that notices would be sent to property owners to gauge their interest in tying into the public system. Previous attempts had failed to garner a majority of interest, he said.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Capital Planning Committee is scheduled for March 19 at 6:30 pm in the town hall conference room.

Mattapoisett Capital Planning

By Marilou Newell

PJ Poulin Back to Work in Spring Training

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            Although PJ Poulin was drafted out of University of Connecticut in the 11th round of the 2018 Major League Baseball Draft by the Colorado Rockies, 2019 was his first spring training. With the draft taking place toward the end of college baseball’s regular season, the Marion native started his professional career with short-season Boise (Idaho).

            After a strong first season of professional ball (1.96 earned-run average, 12.9 strikeouts per nine innings, 1.09 walks plus hits per inning pitched aka WHIP), Poulin came back in 2019 and found plenty of success while moving up to Low A Asheville (North Carolina). He started the season as a middle reliever but later moved to the back end of the bullpen, logging 13 saves, a 2.90 ERA and a 10.2 K/9.

            At age 23, he enters Rockies minor league spring training, which only just began, unlike big league camp, having an understanding of the preseason and what is ahead for the regular season.

            “It’s definitely nice to know what to expect in terms of the day-to-day operations stuff,” Poulin said. “There was a little bit of a learning curve with that the first year. In that regard, yeah, it’s a little easier to get back into the routine.”

            Getting a firm grasp on the daily spring training routine was still only part of the right-hander’s adjustments in 2019. Asheville’s regular-season schedule is 140 games long. Even though Poulin played summer ball in New Bedford after his freshman year at UConn, then in Bourne after his sophomore season, followed by his experience in Boise after what was his final season at UConn, Asheville’s slate of games forced Poulin to monitor his health more strictly than ever.

            “The biggest thing is staying healthy,” he said. “Knowing what your body needs to get ready to go every day. Because if you’re not out on the field, you can’t perform, you can’t make jumps. That’s so huge, I found that out last year for sure. Just how to listen to my body and have a really good routine that gets me ready to go every day.”

            Now Poulin’s arm felt great. He took a couple of months off from throwing altogether to recharge for 2020 as he hopes to move up the ranks again.

            But that’s not all the Tabor Academy graduate did in the offseason. He also dumped his go-to pitch from college: his splitter.

            “It was giving me a little more trouble than it was doing me good,” Poulin said. “And the changeup had just gotten so much better over this past offseason that it was time to let (the split-finger fastball) go.”

            Last season, Poulin complemented his 90-93 mile-per-hour fastball primarily with his slider. He will still go to that plenty throughout the year, but he intends to incorporate his circle change a fair amount, as well.

            Poulin should also have a better understanding of how to go about his business when it comes to taking care of himself and performing on the field. Not just because of his experience either. He’s getting the chance to learn from fellow UConn Husky, Massachusetts native (Tewksbury) and Rockies reliever Scott Berg, who has been with the big-league club since 2015 and found his groove in 2018.

            “He’s helped me a lot with some mechanical things,” Poulin said. “I was just sitting down with him the other day. We were looking at my stuff on the computer, some video stuff. He was sitting there taking me through some stuff for a good hour. He took a solid hour out of his day to just sit there with me and look at pitching mechanics and talk pitching. That was really cool.

            “That just talks to the kind of guy he is.”

            Poulin continues to give himself the best chance to succeed; now he just needs to go out and prove to the Rockies organization once again that he was worth the investment. So far, that has not been an issue for him in the slightest.

By Nick Friar

Margaret “Peggs” Edwards Francis

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Margaret “Peggs” Edwards Francis, 92, of Marion, MA, passed away peacefully in her own home, surrounded by family, on March 6, 2020. 

She was born on July 29, 1927 in Douglaston, NY to Charles Edwards Jr. and Margaret (Mills) Edwards.  She attended Manhasset High School and graduated from Wheelock College (Class of 1949) with a degree in Childhood Education which remained a passion throughout her life.

The treasured matriarch of an extended family, she is survived by her four daughters, Susan Putnam (and husband Fred) of Boston, Tappan Titherington of Marion, Tina Stone of Westport, and Maggie Cook (and  husband Don) of Plymouth, as well as eight grandchildren (Todd, Maggie, Seth, Laura, Tim, Hadley, Joshua and Katrina), many nieces and nephews, and George Moffat, her partner of more than 20 years.  

Peggs was a first-rate skipper and a contributing member of the Beverly Yacht Club for 70 years.  She hosted innumerable visiting Regatta sailors, shepherded her daughters through racing programs, volunteered on many committees, and in 2006, with her partner George Moffat, won the Herroshoff Nationals in their shared H-12, Swan Song.  

A woman of character, she championed the causes she was passionate about.  As a pioneer in education, a dedicated community volunteer, and a humanitarian, her life was devoted to advocating for others by building platforms for those in need.  She enjoyed nature, gardening, cooking, entertaining, and to be surrounded by family and friends.  

Peggs was a firm believer in the slogan, “If you want it done right, do it yourself.”  She was Chairman of the Marion School Committee, spear-headed the first K-12 alternative educational program in Massachusetts (Bent Twig School), served as Treasurer of the Sippican School Building Committee, and was President of the local Visiting Nurse Association pioneering the first “Well Child Clinic” in Massachusetts which provided vaccinations as well as free newborn and child visits.  She led the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Massachusetts, was Secretary of the Sippican Tennis Club, and Chairman of the BYC house committee.  Peggs was a planner and an organizer, known for promoting the visionary ideas she believed in and for supporting others whose efforts she applauded. 

Later in life, Peggs recreated herself as a travel agent, personalizing exotic trips for her clients. A dedicated board member of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), she was designated “grande dame” of the group on many international adventures.

Peggs loved sharing stories of adventures and showcasing her expansive collection of elephant artwork acquired in her travels.  As a grandmother, she chose to be called, “Jum”, in honor of the Indian Jumbo Elephant she admired.  Her Converse Point home of 65 years was command central for holiday gatherings.  A dining table effortlessly set for twenty, colorful linen tablecloths, arrangements of wildflowers picked from the back yard, seating according to homemade place cards, meals one might expect on the QE II, and endless laughter.

The family wishes to express sincere gratitude to the caretakers from Care With Love Inc. of New Bedford and to the Community Nurse Home Care Hospice Team of Fairhaven for their unified professionalism and compassion working as a team caring for our “Jum”.

A Celebration of Life for family and friends will be held at the Beverly Yacht Club (BYC) in Marion, MA on June 6, 2020 at 2:00 pm. 

In lieu of flowers please consider donations to Community Nurse Home Care of Fairhaven or to the “Peggs Francis Young Skipper Scholarship”, which will pave the way each summer for a non-member to learn to sail in the BYC Junior Sailing Program. Community Nurse Home Care, (list Peggs Francis in memo), 62 Center St., Fairhaven, MA 02719 (donate@communitynurse.com)  or Peggs Francis Young Skipper Scholarship, checks to:  Beverly Yacht Club, P.O. Box 181, Marion, MA 02738.

Arrangements are by the Chapman, Cole & Gleason Funeral Home, 2599 Cranberry Hwy., Wareham, MA. For directions and online guestbook, visit: www.ccgfuneralhome.com.