ZBA Approves ‘Dirt Road’ Dwelling

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The Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals approved a special permit for the new construction of a single-family house that lacks public way frontage during a 10-minute pre-holiday meeting on December 19.

            Nicholas Christy sought a special permit to construct a single-family house in conformance with FEMA regulations at 20 Howard Beach, a 7.5-acre parcel that fronts a dirt road right of way.

            Engineer Rich Rheaume of Prime Engineering said there was once a structure on the site, a structure that was built decades ago. The new house will be a one-story home on stilts to elevate it 20.5 feet above the flood plain.

            The house will have a seashell driveway leading to a parking area for vehicles beneath the elevated house, and an exterior staircase leading from the ground level up to the habitable space.

            The neighborhood along the eight-house dirt road has municipal sewer service.

            “I think it’s a good idea that you can be able to park your car under your house,” said ZBA member Colby Rottler, adding that he himself enjoys a similar arrangement on his property.

            Building Commissioner Andy Bobola asked Rheaume to confirm if the plan contained the required addition of two feet in elevation as per the structure’s proposed location within the velocity zone, which Rheaume did confirm.

            No neighbors or abutters were present for the public hearing, and no one presented any letters or comments opposing the new house.

            “I think it’s a nice project,” said ZBA member Anthony Tranfaglia.

            Rottler agreed.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals is scheduled for January 16 at 6:00 pm at the Mattapoisett Town Hall.

Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals

By Jean Perry

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 half by the Sippican Historical Society and half by the Massachusetts Historical Commission. Due to the limits of funding, not all of the historic buildings were surveyed, but over 100 were cataloged 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 feature one building a week so that the residents of Marion can understand more about its unique historical architecture.

            The circa 1840 Greek Revival residence at 16 Pleasant Street was owned by J. Randall in 1855. Its ownership is not identified on the 1879 Marion map. The 1903 map indicates that the residence was owned by H.C. Lewis.

Marion TA Regrets Superintendent Comment

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Marion Town Administrator Jay McGrail appeared before the Old Rochester Regional School Committee on December 11 with a prepared written statement to address a comment he made during a November 20 Marion Finance Committee meeting, when he called School Superintendent Doug White “a lame-duck superintendent that’s got six months left until he’s gone.”

            White is scheduled to retire at the end of this school year, and the Tri-Town school committees have already begun the search for a new superintendent.

            During that discussion with the Finance Committee about ORR finances and the regional school agreement, McGrail made the comment, which The Wanderer included in its November 28 edition in the article titled “FinCom Chair Hints at ‘Mexit’ from ORR District.”

            On December 11, McGrail told the school committee: “I appreciate the opportunity to clarify the comments made at the recent Marion Finance Committee meeting that was reported in the press (The Wanderer). These comments do not reflect the intentions of the Town of Marion and is not even a remote consideration for us.”

            McGrail was referring to Finance Committee Chairman Peter Winters’ idea of Marion withdrawing from the ORR school district.

            McGrail said the brief discussion about Marion exiting the ORR school district was part of a conversation about the ORR regional school agreement, which led to what McGrail said was a “productive conversation” with the Finance Committee on November 20.

            “It was also during that discussion that I made comments regarding the status of the superintendent,” McGrail said, claiming: “That comment was made in the context of the discussion around the district agreement reform.” What he meant, McGrail continued, was that “…it would be difficult to accomplish a district agreement reform and present it to the Annual Town Meeting in the spring for approval, given the plan of the current superintendent to retire in the next six months. I still believe that, and I also believe that it is important for the new superintendent to play an active role in revising the district agreement…”

            McGrail then described his vision for the next superintendent and said that on Monday he and Marion Selectman John Waterman toured ORR, saying, “The current administration and the school committee are doing a terrific job with the culture it is building and the program of studies available to our students.

            “In my short tenure as Marion town administrator, I’ve interacted with Doug a number of times on a number of occasions; each time he could not have been more… responsive and helpful to me,” McGrail continued.

            McGrail said he thinks he and White have a good working relationship, “And I really hope that continues,” especially as the fiscal year 2021 season is just starting, he said.

            Waterman also addressed the school committee, saying his main concern was any potential appearance that the Town of Marion is “anti-education,” he said.

            “That couldn’t be further from the truth,” said Waterman.

            The problem lies in the town’s slow growth and the state mandates facing the town, such as the $7 million wastewater treatment plant upgrades. Waterman said Marion spends $13 million – 60 percent of its annual operating budget – on education, and Proposition 2 ½ remains a challenge for the town as education budgets trend toward a 3-percent increase annually.

            Special education, Waterman said, “is a huge burden, and it’s a growing burden…”

            School Committee member Jim Muse corrected Waterman, saying, “It’s not a burden; it’s a cost, not a burden.”

            Committee member Heather Burke thanked McGrail and Waterman for their visit and said she appreciated McGrail’s apology. She suggested that the lack of a designated communications person at the school affects the school’s ability to effectively communicate with the towns, which is why, McGrail stated, he appeared before the committee that night.

            “The easier thing to do after that newspaper article would be to stay at town hall and keep my head in the sand,” said McGrail. “When I read those comments,” said McGrail, “I had to reach out to Doug immediately, because I mean what I said: since my first day on the job, Doug has been nothing but helpful to work with and I think he understands that I really want to help this process and I think I ruined it all with one article; but all we can do is move forward.”

            In response, White said that he appreciated McGrail taking time to appear to apologize in person, and suggested that the regional school district agreement could potentially be ready for a vote at the Annual Town Meeting in the spring.

            “Waiting another year… is only stopping the ability for the work that needs to get done with the towns and the school district to get to a place where everybody feels comfortable where the funding comes from and what needs to get done,” White said, “and I’ve spent 10 years here and I think I have a lot of background and historical knowledge that can help with that process… and that can potentially get us to a better place.”

            At the end of the meeting, Smith thanked McGrail for “helping to build that bridge to work with us and I think this is… going to be a great start for next year…”

            “There’s no question in my mind that we have and had a dedicated superintendent who [goes] above and beyond all the time,” said Muse.

            In other matters, the School Committee voted to reinstate the two-year foreign language graduation requirement that it relinquished over a decade ago. High School Principal Mike Devoll said ORR is one of the few schools in the region – and the only school on the Southcoast –that does not enforce the two-year foreign language requirement.

            In response to committee member questions doubting the logic for making foreign language a requirement, Devoll stated, “I think within our Strategic Plan we want global citizens, and I think it’s important to send the message that it is important.”

            ORR phased out its French language program in 2015 but added American Sign Language to its roster via an outside college course.

            School Committee member Heather Burke said she preferred to allow for more time for the public to provide some input on the idea, but the vote went ahead nonetheless. Burke abstained from the vote, and School Committee member James Muse voted against the motion to reinstate the requirement.

            The two-year foreign language requirement will affect the graduating class of 2024.

            Devoll gave his annual report on class size relative to contractual limits. According to Devoll, there are 38 sections of Science of 26 students or fewer, with one class exceeding the 26 maximum by one student. In the 39 sections of Math, the average class size if 19.5; however, there is only one Honors Geometry section, and that section reached 27 students this year but is now down to 26.

            Devoll also said he was thrilled to announce that the school is adding another two English college prep courses, and students will now be able to opt for Honors credit within those various English courses.

            An Environmental Science class next year will run as a half-year course, and Forensics will also become a half-year course. Another half-year course, “Genethics,” will be added to the schedule for next year.

            The next meeting of the Old Rochester Regional School Committee is scheduled for January 22 at 6:30 pm in the junior high school media room.

            *The Wandererbelieves that it is the responsibility of the press to provide the public with an accurate report on town government meetings, and believes that it is the public’s right to know what its elected and appointed town officials say about topics that affect the public realm. The Wandererdoes not editorialize the coverage contained in its articles; it is up to the readers to interpret the facts and statements to form their own opinions.

Old Rochester Regional School Committee

By Jean Perry

Mattapoisett Joins Neighbors Online Surveillance ‘Ring’

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They’re called “porch pirates”: people who steal unattended packages delivered to your doorstep. As this annoying petty crime has increased over the years as e-commerce grows, so has the prevalence of package theft.

            The online megacorporation Amazon acquired “Ring,” a startup that began making smart doorbells with security cameras, for $1 billion in February 2018. The security camera can be linked to an app called “Neighbors,” that can share footage from the camera on an online surveillance network set up much like a social media newsfeed.

            In essence, it’s a marriage between technology and the old-fashioned concept of a neighborhood watch group.

            Since launching this online surveillance network in May 2018, over 600 municipal police departments across the country have joined the network, which allows a user’s local police department to view, post, respond to incidents posted to the Neighbors app, and also formally request user footage to assist in an investigation.

            This month, Mattapoisett became one of those participating police departments, making it only the second such department on the entire South Coast and Cape Cod region.

            Dartmouth Police was the first in our region.

            “By working together, we can all make Mattapoisett a safer community,” Mattapoisett Police announced in a post to its Facebook page on December 18.

            The app is free and can be downloaded by anyone, not just Amazon Ring users. It’s being used to share information with residents in one’s own area about crimes, incidents surrounding public safety, suspicious observations, suspicious people, and even lost pets. App users can receive real-time alerts, share anonymous tips, directly from their smartphones, and stay current on local crime and safety.

            Across the county, the online surveillance network now dubbed the “new neighborhood watch,” has proven effective in deterring opportunistic crime such as porch pirating and capturing perpetrators; however, some privacy advocates, civil rights groups, and social justice organizations warn about the unintended consequences that exist as a result of the surveillance network, especially for people of color.

            Massachusetts Senator Edward Markey in a September 5, 2019 letter to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, expressed his own concern with the civil liberties issues that have surfaced.

            “Although innovative approaches to law enforcement to keep neighborhoods safe and combat crime are encouraged and welcome, the nature of Ring’s products and its partnerships with police departments raise serious privacy and civil liberties concern,” Markey wrote.

            In addition to the capturing and storing of video from millions of households of bystanders, many of whom are unaware that they are being filmed, Markey expressed another concern about civil liberties.

            “The integration of Ring’s network of cameras with law enforcement offices could easily create a surveillance network that places dangerous burdens on people of color and feeds racial anxieties in local communities,” Markey stated in his letter, adding that he was particularly alarmed to hear of Ring’s pursuit of a facial recognition technology to flag certain individuals based on their biometric information – technology that disproportionately misidentified people of Latinos and African Americans.

            In a December 17, 2019, open letter to Bezos and Ring CEO Jamie Siminoff, digital rights organization MediaJustice (formerly the Center for Media Justice) wrote regarding racism and Ring: 

            “…[Y]our company’s Neighbors app stokes false alarms over ‘rising’ crime by encouraging neighbors to spy on one another. This app is not designed to prevent crime, but rather it is designed to escalate neighborhood watch programs where individuals are likely to make assumptions about people of color, people experiencing homelessness, and other marginalized people. Your surveillance products weaponize race and digitize racial profiling so many communities of color already experience.”

            Ring does not currently use facial recognition in its Ring technology; however, it filed an application for a patent on facial recognition technology, which, in Amazon’s November 1 response to Senator Markey, is referred to as a “contemplated, but unreleased feature” of the Ring.

            In an email response to The Wanderer for comment on Mattapoisett Police joining Ring’s Neighbors network, Mattapoisett Police Chief Mary Lyons said on December 23, “There are always safety and security concerns when using the Internet to communicate. One would hope that the neighbors signed onto the group would be respectful of everyone and use the group network for the purpose it was designed for.”

            Lyons explained that in order to join a Neighbors group, they must be sent a code number to use to sign up. And some people may share that code with others who are not in the community or neighborhood, she said, adding those individuals could potentially misuse the site.

            “Everyone should be cautious when posting personal information to a public communication site,” said Lyons. “Many companies sell the database containing your personal information to other companies without notifying you. There are many cases of Internet fraud.”

            Mattapoisett Police reminds residents that use Ring or the Neighbors app that they should still call 911 in the event of an emergency.

By Jean Perry

Academic Achievements

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Dana Tripp of Mattapoisett was named to the Dean’s List at Paul Smith’s College as well as a Fall 2019 USCAA Academic All-American. Tripp was honored for participation in men’s woodsmen’s, majors in Forestry. Student-athletes with grade-point averages of 3.5 and above are eligible for the honor. Twenty-six Paul Smith’s students made this year’s list.

Mary E. (Molloy) Tapper

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Mary E. (Molloy) Tapper, 91, of Mattapoisett, formerly of New Bedford, passed away peacefully on Tuesday December 24, 2019 at Sippican Heathcare Center surrounded by her loving family. She was the wife of the late Robert F. Tapper.

            Born in Torbay, Newfoundland, the daughter of the late William and Mary (Manning) Molloy, she lived in New Bedford for most of her life, before moving to Mattapoisett.

            Mrs. Tapper was an active communicant of Holy Name of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, where she had been a member of the Ladies Guild, the church choir, and the Parish Council.

            She is survived by three sons, James Tapper, Robert Tapper, Jr., and Francis Tapper and his wife Patricia; three daughters, Angela Natho, Patricia Saunders and her husband Stephen, and Mary Quinn and her husband Charles; her siblings, John Molloy and his wife Kathleen, Catherine Coady, Theresa Parsons and her husband John, Sister Frances Molloy, Shirley Thorne, Joseph Molloy and his wife Sandy; her sisters-in-law, Pauline Molloy and Peachy Molloy; 18 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

            She was predeceased by her daughter-in-law, Patsy Tapper; her son-in-law, Carl Natho; her siblings, Robert Molloy and his wife Mary, William Molloy, James Molloy, Patricia Grace and her husband John; and her brothers-in-law, Francis Thorne and James Coady.

            Her family would like to thank Dr. Matthew Messina and the Staff of Sippican for the care received by their mother.

            Her Funeral will be held on Saturday Dec. 28th at 8:45 am from the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Route 6, Mattapoisett, followed by her Funeral Mass at Holy Name of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, 121 Mount Pleasant St., New Bedford at 10 am. Burial will be in St. Mary’s Cemetery. Visiting hours will be on Friday Dec. 27th from 4-7 pm. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

Solar Developer Sues Mattapoisett ZBA Over Denial

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            Solar developer NextGrid, Inc., doing business as Next Grid Bowman, LLC, filed a civil complaint with the Massachusetts Land Court on December 9 against the Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals that voted 4-1 to deny the applicant a special permit to construct a one-megawatt solar farm off Bowman Road.

            The company known as Next Grid Patriots, LLC of San Francisco, California purchased the 19.4-acre property to develop four of those acres for a large-scale, ground-mounted solar array field.

            In its complaint, NextGrid asserts that the ZBA acted in an “arbitrary and capricious manner,” and that the board’s denial was based on “legally untenable grounds”, and is “unreasonable, whimsical, capricious, and arbitrary.”

            The solar developer argues that the ZBA voted to deny the project during the first and only night it opened the public hearing, despite having previously approved two other solar farms in town that are even larger in scale and “in the exact same residential zone.”

            Mattapoisett has no bylaw that regulates solar developments or restricts solar farms to any particular zone.

            The complaint alleges that one or more ZBA members “acted in gross negligence (and) in bad faith.” As a result of the denial, NextGrid says the company will suffer over $132,000 in direct damages by losing a tax credit if the project is not approved before the end of 2019.

            NextGrid asserts that it presented uncontested evidence that the project would be entirely screened from pubic view, although not required by Mattapoisett law, and noted in its complaint that ZBA Chairman Susan Akin commented that the site “was not more historic or any different than several other solar farms which were approved…”

            According to the complaint, the largest abutter to the project, Mattapoisett Land Trust, voted not to oppose the project in exchange for certain conditions that NextGrid was willing to provide, but other abutters made comments such as “’[A]lthough you will not see it or hear it, you will feel it when you walk by because you would know it was there.”

            The Conservation Commission had approved Next Grid Bowman’s Notice of Intent application back on October 2.

            The only ZBA member to vote in favor of the special permit was Chairman Susan Akin.

            NextGrid is seeking monetary compensation for its losses, as well as costs incurred as a result of litigation.

By Jean Perry

New Year’s Day Walk at White Eagle

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Kick off 2020 with a New Year’s Day Walk at Sippican Lands Trust’s White Eagle property on Wednesday, January 1 starting at noon. This New Year’s Day Walk will be one of many walks and special programs throughout the year. Alan Harris, Sippican Lands Trust’s Board President, will lead the New Year’s Day Walk on Wednesday, January 1, 2020.

            The walk will begin at our White Eagle Property kiosk. White Eagle is located off of Route 6 in Marion. Take Parlowtown Road across from the town cemetery and follow the road until you reach the cul-de-sac. Bear left onto the dirt road and follow past the abandoned cranberry bog on your right. The dirt road is bumpy so please use caution when driving down the dirt road. Parking is available directly past the bog and along the dirt roadside. The kiosk is a short walk beyond.

            The walk is free, and no registration is required. If more than two inches of snow are on the ground, then the walk will be canceled. If the walk is canceled due to inclement weather or more than two inches of snow on the ground, then information will be posted to SLT’s website and Facebook page. For directions or further information visit sippicanlandstrust.org or call Sippican Lands Trust at 508-748-3080.

A Tinkhamtown Chapel Christmas Tradition Lives

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            Driving up to the little white chapel located in the heart of Mattapoisett’s Tinkhamtown neighborhood, one gets a real sense of early life in this historic community. The Tinkhamtown Chapel windows were aglow, thanks to kerosene wall lamps, now assisted by muted electric lights.

            On December 21, the chapel was opened to the public for the annual Christmas carol sing-along that has been taking place within these sturdy walls for 65 years. The building is lovingly cared for by a devoted committee and supported in part by the generosity of the public.

            One of those committee members has generations of Tinkhamtown DNA flowing through her veins. Gail Roberts’ grandmother was the locally well-known Minnie Tinkham, who for decades coordinated this annual event.

            “My grandmother played the organ, which she had to pump back then, and we had to sing allthe verses of every carol, too,” said a smiling Roberts. She said that despite the organ requiring strong untiring legs, her grandmother insisted that each and every verse of each and every carol be fully played. Nowadays, the pump organ is connected to a vacuum pump that pushes air through the aging machine.

            Roberts pointed out that the organ has handles on either side, “So missionaries could carry it through jungles,” she said. Well, maybe not this particular organ, but this style of organ, that is.

            Roberts, who is also the library director of the Plumb Library in Rochester, said her parents faithfully attended the annual caroling at the chapel and that she can’t remember a Christmas when she was not there, too.

            Part of the program has always included children. Roberts said that the children are invited up to the tiny stage area at the front of the chapel where they sing songs to the delight of family and friends. Matthew Buckley remembers those moments as terrifying.

            “I had stage fright,” chuckled Buckley.

            Roberts said that historically, this community sing-along was held on Christmas Eve, but that as the years went by, attendance started to decline. The event was moved to the Saturday evening before Christmas Eve and attendance bounded back up. On this night, some 70 or more participants shared the space of the long wooden pews – a near-capacity crowd.

            Fondly recalling those bygone days, Buckley and Roberts talked about the white pine trees that had once graced a corner of the chapel each year, and that children were given an ornament in remembrance.

            “I still have one,” Roberts said.

            About 10 years ago, the chapel was finally electrified, Roberts explained, and now, instead of using the wood-burning stove still ready for duty, they simply turn on the heater.

            “It does take a long time to warm up the place compared to the stove,” said Roberts.

            The chapel was built in 1889, according to the historic plaque on the outside of the building, but most likely began life even earlier. As Robert said, it had been a schoolhouse around 1850.

            A study completed by the Massachusetts Historical Commission in 1981 noted that Mattapoisett had seven developmental stages as it moved toward the modern era. Those stages were: “first contact” from 1500-1620, “plantation” from 1620-1675, “colonial” during 1675-1775, “federalist” 1775-1830, “early industrial” 1830-1870, “late industrial” in 1870-1915, and “early modern” between 1915-1955. With this in mind, that would mean that the chapel was constructed sometime between the early and late industrial period.

            After the caroling died down, the assembled ambled next door to the Helping Hands Society building, also known as the Sewing Circle, to enjoy a bite of homemade goodies that graced the tables laid out in beautiful holiday décor.

            Today, the chapel quietly sits at an intersection where modern life whizzes by, equipped with technology those early settlers couldn’t even have conceived. It’s rather nice – and one might say necessary – to have a few moments once a year to gather together, put the hurly-burly of contemporary life aside, and just enjoy the warmth of being part of a community at Christmas time.

By Marilou Newell

Rochester Council on Aging

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The full monthly newsletter and calendar are available on our website www.rochestermaseniorcenter.com.  Like us on Facebook!  www.facebook.com/rochesterma.

            Monthly Meeting – The Rochester Council on Aging Board of Directors will hold the monthly board meeting on Wednesday, January 8 at 9:00 am. The meeting will be held at Town Hall. All residents of Rochester, MA are welcome to attend this meeting.

            Special Monday Luncheons – The Rochester Senior Center is offering the following Special Monday Luncheons in January: Monday, January 6, COA Director, Cheryl Randall-Mach and Chef Kenneth Vieira will prepare award-winning kale soup and grilled cheese sandwiches; Monday, January 13, Hanna Milhench and her team will prepare a delicious homemade lunch; Monday, January 27,Outreach Specialist, Lorraine Thompson and Chef Kenneth Vieira will prepare a scrumptious lunch. All Monday luncheons are held at noon, require advanced reservations, and a donation of $5 is requested. Rides are available by making a reservation at least 24 hours in advance.

            Podiatric Appointments – Dr. Sarah Desrosier, DPM will be at the Rochester Senior Center on January 2, 2020 for podiatric appointments. Appointments are scheduled in advance.  

            Pot Roast Supper – There will be a pot roast supper on Thursday, January 16 at 5:30 pm.  Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children. Join the Friends of the Rochester Senior Center for a meal, raffle and trivia. RSVP to Lorraine Thompson at 508-763-8723 by January 10.

            Governmental Chat – Caitlin Rowley, District Legislative Aide, will hold office hours at the Rochester Senior Center every third Wednesday of each month from 12:00 to 2:00 pm. Appointments are not necessary. Come down to make your opinion known on current governmental issues. Caitlin can also be reached by email at Caitlin.rowley@MAsenate.gov.

            Food Pantry – The Greater Boston Food Pantry pick-up date in January is Wednesday, January 15 from 12:00 to 4:00 pm. Please note that this month’s pick-up date is the third Wednesday of the month. Please call the COA for more information about this free food program at 508-763-8723.