FY21 Budget Approved; Summer Programs Cancelled

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            The Marion Board of Selectmen approved the FY21 budget to be carried to the Monday, June 22, town meeting, and gave Recreation Director Jody Dickerson a platform to explain the town’s cancellation of its summer programs.

            According to Town Administrator Jay McGrail, the town’s operating budget for FY21 includes contractually obligated increases affecting only two of approximately 30 line items. Those are the only increases.

            “We had a large deficit at the beginning of the discussion and we really wanted to get to black ink,” McGrail told the selectmen in their May 26, remote-access meeting.

            He said that Assistant Town Administrator Judy Mooney, together with Becky Tilden, DPW Director David Willett and assistant Meghan Davis, were able to tackle the budget in house. “The hard part,” he said, “is today, putting it in action.”

            “I think we’ve done the best we can to do what’s fiscally prudent for the Town of Marion and to keep our projects the lowest. I want to commend my team. … Every draft they put together required a ton of legwork. … Given the circumstances, I believe we have the best plan we possibly can.”

            In her presentation, Mooney told the selectmen that Marion will see some water increases because of the debt. “The debt is driving the force,” she said.

            Selectman John Waterman said he would like to see a five-year progression of the percentage of the overall budget dedicated to debt service. Mooney said that can be provided, but of more immediate relevance to the budget are revenues.

            Mooney explained that the increase in FY20 water usage from $1,869,000 to $2,071,926 indicates a difference of approximately $202,000 that could grow to $300,000 if the water usage is not as high in FY21.

            Mooney said FY21 will see budget increases for full-time salaries, three line-item increases, district assessments, engineering, and a water assessment.

            She also indicated that the town has only done short-term borrowing for the Route 6 project. “Once we start long-term borrowing it, you’re going to see the principle go up,” she said.

            In preparing the sewer budget, Mooney said she pulled out the costs of addressing infiltration and inflow to the town’s sewer system and put it in an article for the town-meeting warrant. The long-term effect, she said, will be in FY22’s budget. 

            “We’re still trying to meet our 2020 revenues on the sewer end. Water last time I looked was short only $60,000,” she said.

            The average household in Marion is 2.5 people so, while water’s quarterly rate increase is proposed to be $7.12 or $28 annually, water/sewer in the same household is $64.38 quarterly or $257 annually.

            Waterman noted that water usage drives sewer revenues, but the town puts water restructions in place. “We kind of tie one arm behind our back,” he said.

            Waterman said that Marion should have been doing a little every year but is now playing a painful game of catch-up.

            “It’s unfortunate but the numbers are there. I just cringe when I see these numbers, but … as far as I’m concerned, there’s not a lot we can do about it,” said Chairperson Randy Parker.

            Waterman thought it opportune to turn the problem into a cautionary tale where it concerns the town’s other financial challenges and long-term outlook.

            “The general message needs to be we really got behind in upgrading our water infrastructure,” he said. “If we put it off, the cost is just going to get worse. On the sewer, we have seen these increases coming … it hasn’t come as fast as we thought becuase of the delays in construction in the waste-treatment. … I think by year two, we’ll be seeing. We’ve seen this coming and we’ve talked about it for two years.”

            Hills echoed the sentiment: “We don’t have much choice, we just haven’t been doing things we should have been doing. Sewer, we can’t get around this.”

            It is hoped that the condominium development proposed by Henry DeJesus will produce more taxpayers to share the load of sewer costs and thereby drive down or at least stabilize the average cost per household in the town.

            In the face of state-issued regulations including the wearing of masks at all times, 6 foot social distancing and no organized sports, the town chose to cancel Its 2020 summer recreations programs.

            “This was not an easy decision for us,” said Recreation Director Jody Dickerson, who like many originally thought COVID-19 might last a few weeks or a couple of months. “As time went on we knew this was going to go on for a while. We really didn’t get the guidance from the state that I was hoping for to move forward.”

            Dickerson reached out to Tabor Academy and other camps on Cape Cod and the south shore only to find that the majority were either cancelling for the season or waiting for the very last moment. Opening up on the state’s terms, he said, “would not resemble any of our summer programs.”

            Dickerson did say Marion will keep the door open if something should change and, under more favorable circumstances, consider holding the golf camp or sailing or art programs.

            “It’s with a horrible feeling, we have a lot of kids that work for us … far reaching implications,” said McGrail, who said he pulled his own children out of summer camp in his town of residence. “Due to the regulations it’s not a fun program for the kids, not a good way to spend your summer. I just don’t ever see them going back for the second day.

            With the state’s cap on gatherings still set at a maximum of 10, the cost of achieving the prescribed teacher-student ratio would be prohibitive.

            Parker asked about kayaking. Dickerson pointed to the challenge of shared equipment. “Even tennis, basketball, groups of 10 so triple or quadruple the equipment we need and then it’s constantly clean, clean, clean,” he said.

            Facilities at the beach and on all school district campuses remain closed, further hampering any effort by the town to reopen for recreational activities.

            Before the meeting had ended, building contractor Sherman Briggs voiced some concerns about several matters including safety at Point Road where he lives and Creek Road. “Somebody’s going to get killed over there. Those bumps are so dangerous. I hope somebody listens,” he said. “The road is falling apart, the sink holes are falling. The (Infiltration and Inflow) is what’s destroying the road. … There isn’t (any other) road that’s been paved three times since 1970 other than maybe Converse Road. It’s time to capitalize on these studies and not let them sit on the shelf.”

            Barring an emergency, the next meeting of the Marion Board of Selectmen will be held on Tuesday, June 2.

Marion Board of Selectmen

By Mick Colageo

Solar Array for Bowman Road Unanimously Approved

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            It had been hotly debated, passionately viewed as an abomination to primal woodlands, not the right fit for the location, and generally believed by abutters and the Mattapoisett Land Trust as just plain wrong. But on May 22 after nearly a year that saw NextGrid Bowman Road LLC being denied a Special Permit by the Zoning Board of Appeals, the site plan for the project was approved by the Mattapoisett Planning Board. The project, now slated to move forward, is a commercial solar array on private property owned by NextGrid of San Francisco.

            Once again coming before the Planning Board were Daniel Seber of NextGrid, attorney for the applicant Joseph Pacella, and the architects and engineers for the project, Atlantic Design of Sandwich.

Present on the Planning Board were acting Chairman Nathan Ketchel, board administrator Mary Crain, and members, Karen Field, Arlene Fidalgo, and Janice Robbins.

            Early in the reopened hearing, resident Paul Osenkowski attempted to bring the thoughts and comments of Chairman Tom Tucker who is presently stationed on a Massachusetts Maritime Academy Ship docked in Mobile, Alabama. Tucker has been unavailable for several months during which the Planning Board has been hearing the applicant’s site plan request. Osenkowski said he was speaking on behalf of Tucker and had been told by him that the remote meeting process wasn’t one he agreed with. Tucker, according to Osenkowski, had voiced his displeasure of the process that didn’t grant him the opportunity to hear the case due to a lack of computer connectivity and time of day the meeting was taking place.

            Osenkowski said, “He (Tucker) said he is upset because there is no need for an immediate decision… he is not in favor of this because the ZBA was not in favor.”

            Crain, speaking to the remote meeting process, said of Tucker’s comments to her, “He has not been able to attend. We can’t hear his perspective because he has not been able to participate remotely.” “We are doing what is allowed by the governor’s orders,” she continued then added, “…it comes down to his disagreement with the remote hearing process. He can miss one meeting; this is the third meeting… I can’t speak for him otherwise.”

            Osenkowski was allowed to exhaust his comments and asked the board members to take Tucker’s comments into consideration. “He feels like he has been left out.”

            But direct abutter Becky Zora, who had pleaded that the applicant should not be allowed to put a solar array on the Bowman Road property and next door to her home now, said, “It has been a long process. I just wanted to make sure that everything was honest and lawful. The applicant and the boards have done that.” Of the remote meeting process, she told the Planning Board, “We have to continue to go forward in spite of COVID… If all the laws are being followed, I have no more questions… I’m overwhelmed by the amount of work you do.”

            Mike Huguenin, president of the Mattapoisett Land Trust referring to a letter from the MLT to the Planning Board dated May 20, said, “The site is not suitable for solar… we are firm in our conviction that you have the legal right to deny this application.”

            The Planning Board reviewed specific site-plan conditions and language, was satisfied with the plans as they currently are crafted, with Ketchel going line by line over those areas that the Planning Board was responsible for conditioning, namely stormwater, roadways, lighting, screening, and construction activity. He said just before closing the public portion of the hearing, “We are here for site-plan review.”

            Robbins moved that the project be approved with conditions. It was a unanimous decision. A draft of the decision and conditions will be written by Crain for the board to review.

            In another matter discussed informally, Crain told the board that developer Scott Snow was seeking site-plan modifications regarding a foundation for a home off Prospect Road. Currently he has moved the structure to a temporary foundation permitted by the Building Department. Robbins thought that the request was more than a minor change and asked Crain to invite Snow to the next meeting.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board is scheduled for Monday, June 1, at 7:00 pm. Visit mattapoisett.net for remote meeting log-in details.

Mattapoisett Planning Board

By Marilou Newell

From the Files of the Rochester Historical Society

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At the Historical Society’s Museum there is lots of information about Rochester citizens who went to war for their country. Some of our scrapbooks include newspaper articles about men and women who served. There are clippings about veterans who have served in the Middle East and all the way back to the Revolutionary War.

            In her book, Mattapoisett and Old Rochester, Mary Hall Leonard writes. “It was said at the Rochester Bi-Centennial that it is a historical fact that Rochester furnished more men (to fight in the Revolutionary War) on proportion to territory than any other town in the Old Colony.”

            One soldier from Rochester was Major Elnathan Haskell who became one of General George Washington’s aides. In the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., there is a painting, “Surrender of General Burgoyne” and there is Haskell to the left of Washington.

            Rochester has official memorials to veterans from the past to the present. The Civil War Monument across from Town Hall honors 81 Civil War veterans from the community. In 1927, a town meeting appropriated $1,200 for the monument. In August 1928, the completed monument was dedicated by the G.A.R. (Grand Army of the Republic). Some of the veterans who attended wore their Civil War uniforms.

            Monuments to soldiers who died fighting for their country are often made of stone, but they can also be the memories they leave behind. In the third Rochester Journal, Anna White put memories into words writing about her cousin, Raymond Coleburn Hartley, who died in 1945 in Burma after a direct hit to his foxhole. She offers quotes from many of his letters from the Front that exhibit the sense of humor for which he was known. Besides her words, he is also commemorated by a Rochester Woman’s Club Scholarship in his name and a cabin dedicated to him at Camp Farley, the 4H camp that was almost a rite of passage for Rochester’s young people pre-WWII.

By Connie Eshbach

On the Crest of a Hill

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            On the crest of a small hill in Agawam Cemetery is my father’s grave. He is surrounded by his father-in-law, his infant boy-child, and his wife. Down the hill rest more extended family members from my mother’s side of the family. At 92 his mind and its ability to regulate not only thoughts but biological systems gave up. On May 26, 2011, he gasped twice as I held his hand and then silently, gently slipped away on a spring breeze.

            It had not been an easy life. Poverty punctuated his earliest years, as made obvious in a sepia-toned photograph. Dad is seated and appears to be a very fat and robust baby of about nine months. It is his clothing that betrays the chubby cherub. It looks like a handknitted jumpsuit with very tattered booties. Long untethered strings hang from the heels. The tilt of his head gives him a quizzical appearance, with pale blue eyes that are not so much questioning but observing people off-camera. The baby is not smiling, just waiting for whatever comes next. He would, for the rest of his life, hold that pose when studying others.

            Dad was born June 2, 1918. The ravishes for a world war prevailed as did that other pandemic, the Spanish Flu. Yet despite all the pitfalls, his parents kept him living, fed, and spared all manner of child-killing diseases. He survived.

            As a young child, school vexed him. Today he would be diagnosed with one or more learning or cognitive issues easily countermanded by programs and individual support. At that time, he was viewed as lazy, ignorant, not worth the effort, punishable, and eventually allowed to leave school in the third grade.

            Dad always credited his maternal grandmother with teaching him how to read. And learn he did, at least well enough to enjoy the daily newspaper, technical journals, and most legal documents. But he could never really write more than his name with penmanship that was sorely lacking. He could add and subtract but not multiple or divide.

            Motors of all sorts were his sweet spot. Car engines, radios, kitchen appliances and, later on, TVs were added to his repertoire. Through the magic of his mastery with car engines his vehicles were always in good working order. But much like the cobbler whose children have no shoes, our TVs were always the last to get his attention. If we could slap the side of the cabinet to get the vertical hold to work, that’s what we did for weeks.

            From the moment he was old enough to put his hand to work, that is what Dad did almost until the day he died. But later in life he did allow himself the pleasure of a travel trailer. At least once a year he’d fill the tiny refrigerator with frozen TV dinners, and gather such provisions as a loaf of white bread, a jar of Maxwell House, and peanut butter and jelly. Then rounding up his son or, later on, a neighborhood rag-a-muffin or grandson, he’d head off for Moose Head Lake in Maine.

            Once there with a small campfire glowing, he seemed to relax. I went with him once when my boy was about five. That experience, like several others we’d had together, allowed me to see my father in a different light. He was a lonely, secretive man.

            One of his biggest secrets, maybe one he kept even from himself, was the post-war trauma he suffered through. My earliest memories of my father are of a man who never spoke, whose brow was furrowed as his eyes looked past you to some far-imagined horizon. He never seemed to be present.

            In old age as his grasp on the present became adrift, as his thoughts were loosened from their moorings, he spoke of his wartime experiences. Not in a boastful victorious manner but in a quiet, matter-of-fact tone. “Them bullets sounded like ping, ping, ping,” he said aloud one afternoon while sitting at his kitchen table. As I sat beside him, Dad unfolded decades of quiet suffering so gently that the pain was not at first perceived.

            Dad’s knack for fixing car engines had earned him a position in the motor pool of his Army unit. He became a driver for a high-ranking officer. They had seen direct combat as his unit advanced from Normandy following behind Patton.

            At one point, Dad and the officer were pinned down, taking cover under their jeep. “It was cold and wet,” Dad remarked, “…we could hear the Germans talking.” They remained under that jeep for several days. One can only imagine the fear, a lasting, never-ending fear.

            Dad talked about helping a farmer with his tractor, scavenging for coal along a railroad bed and building fires that warmed “the boys.” He had tremendous respect for the military but loathed military action. Throughout the Vietnam conflict, as he sat reading the daily newspaper, he’d shake his head and say, “…they should bring them boys home.”

            His brother, a retired Naval officer a few years younger than Dad, would tell me decades later that he believed his only sibling had returned home from WWII with what we now call PTSD. Back then it was “battle fatigue.” As I think about that now, it seems very likely to be true. My uncle told me that Dad went to a hospital but how and where is now lost.

            For his bravery Dad received a Bronze Star. His children never knew that until he was very old and then didn’t understand the significance of the medal. Today I weep for a man who spent his entire life working to provide for his family, never receiving recognition for a job done to the best of his abilities as a civilian and as a soldier until he was laid to rest on that crest of the hill. As he lay dying, I told him repeatedly, “You can stand down Dad, your work is done.” On the anniversary of his passing coupled with Memorial Day celebrations, my grieve opens raw as a fresh grave.

            My parents’ graves are marked by footstones provided by the Veterans Administration. These humble markers befit their lives. There is comfort in knowing that, in the forever which follows death, my father’s grave denotes his heroism, his rising to the best that he could be when it was most needed – once upon a time. There on the crest of the hill in nearby Wareham lies a hero, my father, Brayton Norman Newell, June 2, 1918 – May 26, 2011, an anonymous citizen like so many others who helped make America what we dream about today.

This Mattapoisett Life

By Marilou Newell

House Plans Bent out of Shape by Odd Lot

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            The Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals questioned a petition for a variance for a property located on Pine Island Road in its meeting held on May 21.

            Applicants Charles and Karen Duponte met with the board seeking a petition for a variance. The variance would allow the applicants to construct a 2,600 square foot home on the lot in question.

            The lot, at Prospect and Pine Island Road, is certainly unique. Created in 1965, the lot does not adhere to the current zoning laws that were updated in 1973. Most lots from that period are grandfathered in and enjoy unique status under zoning laws. However, this particular lot exceeds 29,000 square feet. The extra footage prevents the lot from qualifying for the grandfathered status.

            David Davignon, representing Charles and Karen Duponte, clarified that there was no other lot like this in the neighborhood. He went on to add that the situation is made more unique by the fact that the lot is located on the corner of two streets. This means it has to adhere to two different zoning standards.

            “If developers from 1965 could have known about the zoning change, they would have changed the shape of the lot,” Davignon told the board. “This petition for variance would allow the lot to be used for its intended use.”

            The goal for the Duponte family is the construction of a home on the lot. That construction would be stifled by current zoning laws. Adhering to current zoning regulations, the home would have to be built so narrowly it would appear closer to the shape of a trailer than a conventional house.

            “Other orientations of the house would make it difficult to fit into the neighborhood because porches and decks are also added into the zoning figures,” said Davignon. Members of the neighborhood echoed the sentiment that a petition for a variance would be more beneficial to the community than an oddly shaped home.

            Associate member Norman Lyonnais agreed that the variance may be beneficial to the community. “I agree that something should be built that will enhance the area. A lot of things happen when you buy property; you don’t want something shaped like a trailer in the area,” he said.

            Charles Duponte explained that he was confused with the conditions of the property when he purchased the lot and expressed his historical ties to the neighborhood.

            “We have always loved the historical nature of Pine Island Road,” said Duponte. “We didn’t understand the ramifications when we purchased the lot. At some point, our hope is that someone will build on it. We have historical backgrounds in building and we want to do the right thing for the lot. We are really fond of our historical neighborhood, and that’s why we are here.”

            Despite the positions put forth by the applicants, the board questioned whether there was sufficient hardship required for a variance to be issued.

            “It would be a hardship for the neighborhood to have an oddly shaped trailer house. It would degrade the quality of the neighborhood,” said Davignon, arguing his case.

            After hearing the viewpoints of the applicants, the board ultimately decided that the case was not sufficient to issue a petition of variance and voted unanimously to deny the variance.

            With the topic occupying the majority of the meeting settled, the board went on to address the remaining public appeals relating to the issuing of special permits.

            Maureen St. Armand put forth a request for a special permit to address a change in ownership at the property located at 20 Crooks Way. The appeal was issued to request permission to transfer ownership of a family-related apartment to a new homeowner.

            “This is a simple case. We have a change in ownership, and the zoning bylaws require the owner to come in and get a permit for a change of ownership,” Chairperson Susan Akins explained.

            Seeing as the permit was more of a formality, the board unanimously passed the motion to allow the issuing of the special permit to St. Armand.

            Paul Frisco, represented by David Davignon, came before the board to attain a special permit for the construction of a family apartment at 9 Second Street. The apartment is an addition to the applicant’s garage in order to provide a living space for his son.

            The family apartment was shown on a set of original plans that were approved by the board in 2018. That said, the original permit issued by the board only related to the construction of the garage and not the in-law apartment that also appeared on the set of original plans.

            “The garage was approved to be built in 2018, and the new construction has begun. We are here this evening to get the family apartment shown on the original plans approved,” said Davignon.

            Clerk Mary Brogan suggested that the plans seemed unorthodox. She expressed concern that certain components of the plans seemed to be added only with the intention of being interpreted as meeting the criteria for an in-law apartment.

            The addition of an in-law apartment to an existing property requires that the addition be connected to the property, and it must appear as if the property is still one, single building. After reviewing the plans, members expressed concerns about the adherence to the plans to current zoning laws.

            “It looks like a breezeway was only added to conform with the bylaws. It looks like separate buildings with only a hallway connecting them,” said Brogan.

            Frisco and Davignon both assured the board members that the two entities will be properly connected and that the only reason for the confusion was due to the representation of the project on the plans. Satisfied with their justifications, the board passed a motion to allow the construction of the new apartment.

            The next Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 23.

Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals

By Matthew Donato

New Distance, New Partner, Same Result for Watling III

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            Since the Rochester Memorial Day Boat Race first began in 1939, the event has only been canceled four years and for one occasion — World War II. With the novel coronavirus pandemic putting a stop to countless events across the country, the 2020 edition was not expected to become an exception.

            In fact, at one point, the race had been canceled. But with the state starting its reopening process, race director Art Benner got to work with his committee once the Rochester Board of Health gave the Fire Department permission to sponsor the event.

            This year’s race came with changes. The distance was cut in half down to six miles, ending at Wolf Island Road. There was no registration session at the race, nor was there a hotdog stand, the ham and bean supper, or an awards program afterward.

            “We thought that people would enjoy getting out and getting in the river and doing that sort of activity,” Benner said.

            Along with the distance change, the biggest adjustment for contestants was the preparation for the event.

            “People didn’t get the kind of practice time they would have normally, had we had a normal spring and they could have been making practice runs from April on,” Benner said. “When they did get a chance to train last week, the water had gotten so low it was not a good training run anyway.”

            The typical winning time for the Rochester Memorial Day Boat Race is under two hours so this year’s top time of 1:02.18 was a bit off the typical pace for the midway point, and that can be chalked up to lack of preparation time. Yet, for all the changes to this year’s race, one thing remained the same: Bill Watling III was one half of the winning team.

            This year, however, he wasn’t partnered with his friend and fellow Rochester native Dan Lawrence. The pair had won the Rochester Memorial Day Boat Race six of the last seven years, twice taking home the Jim Hartley Award, given only to those who win the Open Division three consecutive years.

            “Last year we talked and my wife had wanted to do it, so we kind of figured it was a good time to split it up,” Watling III said.

            Although his wife, Alyssa, had not participated in the event before, she had competed in a kayak race before. The Rochester Memorial Day Boat Race requires homemade boats, which are open, similar to a canoe, so there were some differences, but not enough to be a problem for the Watlings.

            And they fully intend to contend for the title again in 2021.

            “I think we’ll at least try to get the three-in-a-row co-ed (title),” Watling III said. “I think this year we were definitely a dark horse because people assumed I was switching it up for co-ed. I don’t think they expected us to come out as strong as we did.”

            Lawrence, competing with Jake Goyette, also of Rochester, finished third overall in the race and third in the Open Division (1:03:32). Rochester native Andy Weigel and Jay Lawrence of Middleboro finished second overall and second in the Open Division (1:02:34).

            Henri and Jonathan Roy of Rochester finished first in the Parent/Child Division (1:10:22). Dana Barrows and Paul Milde had the top time for an all-Mattapoisett pairing (1:04:22), finishing fourth overall. Kendall and C.J. Hedges IV had the top time for an all-Marion team (1:10:46), placing third in the co-ed division.

            Rochester’s Tucker Roy and Marion’s Cliff Hedges V won the Boys Junior Division (1:15:34); it’s the third time they’ve won the Junior Boys Division.

            Carolyn Pruchnik of Rochester won the Women’s Division (1:26:29) with Colleen Somers of Dorchester. Ellsea Roy of Rochester took first in the Girls Junior Division (1:38:45).

Rochester Memorial Day Boat Race

By Nick Friar

Outdoor Worship Gathering at FCCR

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First Congregational Church of Rochester on 11 Constitution Way in Rochester is holding an outdoor worship gathering on the Church Green on Sunday, May 31 at 10:00 am. Please bring a chair and a face mask. Six-foot social distancing will be utilized for everyone’s safety. Let’s worship together! All are welcome to attend. Can’t make it? Then “Like” us on Facebook to view our services that are live-streamed each Sunday at 10:00 am. Please call the church office at 508-763-4314 with any questions.

Challenges Ahead for New Public Health Nurse

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            The Mattapoisett Board of Health held a public meeting on May 9 to determine which applicant would be selected for the role of public health nurse. The meeting was held with board members on-site in a conference room, and remote access was provided via conference call.

            The board began with the announcement that the final decision of who would fill the position was not arrived at with ease. “We would have no problem with any of these candidates,” said Board Member Russell Bailey. “They are all well-qualified.”

            The current crisis weighed heavily on the board’s decision. The challenges surrounding COVID-19 made it clear to the members that their choice on the matter was more pressing and salient than under normal circumstances. With those considerations noted, the discussion on the matter was closed when the board put forth a motion that applicant Emily Field be hired for the position. The motion was approved by the board with unanimous consent from the members.

            Field, a native of Marion, holds a Master’s degree in nursing from Boston College and attended Monash University to study community health. With over 20 years of experience in nursing and related roles, the board felt that Field would be the best fit for the position going forward.

            Field will take on the position as soon as possible. She will begin the role under the guidance of current Mattapoisett Public Health Nurse Amanda Stone. Field will shadow Stone until she is able to grasp a full understanding of the position and until Stone makes her transition out of the role.

            There is no question that Field inherits the position under trying circumstances. With the state set to reopen, public health officials will certainly face a unique set of challenges.

            The board transitioned to a discussion regarding COVID-19 and the impact of the first phase of reopening across the state. Stone noted that Mattapoisett currently has a total of 29 confirmed cases of the virus. That number is up from a total of 21 cases reported on May 9. The increase is slight, and Stone noted that, of the cases confirmed at this time, most are recovered and no longer active.

            With the reopening on the way, Stone expressed that there may be an increase in cases as people expand their social circle. “Even with measures like social distancing and masks, they will still be coming into contact with more people and increase the potential risks for infection,” Stone warned the board.

            Stone cautioned that an increase in people relocating for the summer could also result in a spike of cases. The recommendation is still that anyone arriving from out-of-state quarantine for 14 days. Despite the initial stage of reopening suggesting a relaxing of guidelines, Stone advised a strict adherence to the social distancing and mask regulations that are already in place.

            In terms of combatting potential spikes in infection, Stone also mentioned the importance of community tracing. “Community tracing is going to be very helpful,” said Stone. “There are particular cases that are high risk and require more significant care. It is hugely time-consuming checking to make sure that people in quarantine have the services they need to remain safely in isolation.”

            In addition to contact tracing, Stone also provided updates on the protocols for COVID-19 testing. “Everyone who has come in contact with someone with the virus is now recommended to go and get tested,” said Stone. Even if you come into contact and display no symptoms, Stone still recommended that a test take place.

            Stone continued by clarifying confusions surrounding the antibody testing for coronavirus. “Even with antibodies, the recommendation is that they also get tested for coronavirus,” Stone told the board members. “There have been many false positives, and having antibodies does not mean that you are no longer infectious.” 

            The board explained that the primary goal in this challenge is to promote awareness of the impact of coronavirus so that everyone understands the importance of social distancing and continuing to wear masks. For businesses reopening, the board hopes to act as a channel to address concerns and demonstrate why the community should continue to follow guidelines.

            “The better we do during Phase 1, the faster we will be able to move towards Phase 2. We need to communicate that this is where we are at, and this is where we are trying to move toward,” said Stone.

            Health Agent Kayla Davis applauded the community’s efforts and participation in adhering to guidelines. “I have gotten more praise than complaints, and the complaints are (coming from) people who want to make sure that people are following the guidelines correctly,” said Davis.

            With the matter settled, the board moved on to discuss the town’s capacity to receive funding through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. The CARES Act grants assistance to impacted communities through state funding that is provided by the federal government.

            Board members communicated an ongoing process with administrators to issue requests for reimbursement for costs associated with COVID-19. There were suggestions that, given the current circumstances, it would be advantageous if the funding could be used to support the new public health nurse. There is no exact figure for the amount of funding to be received through the CARES Act, but it is expected to be significant.

            The board ended with a clear declaration that its members are available to answer any questions or concerns put forth by community members.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Board of Health was not scheduled at press time.

Mattapoisett Board of Health

By Matthew Donato

Lions Cancel Harbor Days

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In 1983, Harbor Days was conceived by then club President Arthur Blackburn. Who would have guessed that almost 40 years later, the term “Harbor Days” would represent a week’s worth of events that would be something akin to a major holiday (in this part of the world, anyway!) This special week each July includes the Triathlon, Shopping at Shipyard, Paint Nights, local talent, entertainment, the famous strawberry shortcakes, lobster dinner, fish fry, pancake breakfast, silent auction, You Pick ’Em raffle, Grand raffle, and, of course, the arts and crafts fair. 

            And who would have guessed that 2020 would bring a pandemic that would change life as we previously knew it to be? Sadly, life may not be the way it was for quite a while. With that, and after much consideration and deliberation, it is with heavy hearts that Mattapoisett Lions Club’s Board of Directors has voted to cancel all Harbor Days 2020 events. This is a decision that was not reached quickly or easily. We hope you understand the desire to keep everyone’s safety and well-being first and foremost in our minds.

            We will look forward to planning Harbor Days 2021 and seeing you all at Shipyard Park once again, enjoying all that Harbor Days has to offer.

            Our sincere thanks to each and every person who continues to support our club’s mission to help local residents in need, provide scholarships to local students, promote diabetes awareness, and make donations to Massachusetts Lions Eye Research. We could not do any of this work without you. 

Steen, Seasons Seek a Solution

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            In a case of ‘my way or the highway’, the final public hearing of the Rochester Planning Board’s remote access meeting on Tuesday night took on the atmospheric swings of professional sports labor impasse, as cordial remarks gave way to a complicated problem and, from there, to conflict and rising temperatures, the drawing of lines in the sand, talk of potential legal action and, finally, the cooler priority on the big picture and the plan for a phone call.

            At conflict was how the access road for a new development planned by the Cranberry Highway Smart Growth Overlay District and filed by Steen Realty and Development that will consist of 208 residential units and commercial space will affect the existing Seasons Corner Market and gas station.

            The case continued from April 28, addressed several matters, but as representative Phil Cordeiro from Allen & Major Associates described, “the other elephant in the room” is the discussion of the connection of the site driveway interconnection to the ring road and roadway.

            “We’ve not reached a conclusion, have not reached an agreement so, while both the owner and Seasons can elaborate, we’d like the board to consider, we know it wouldn’t please Seasons,” said Cordeiro.

            The project’s relocated ring road led to discussions with Seasons representatives over the past few months. Proposals went back and forth, the latest of which from Seasons proposal that Steen found to be unacceptable.

            Cordeiro reminded the Planning Board that the road was relocated at the board’s request “so we hope the board will approve it in its current location. It would make Seasons happy if the road doesn’t get relocated and we leave the road untouched.”

            While Planning Board Chairman Arnie Johnson acknowledged the overall progress in keeping with the board’s requests, he indicated that Ken Motta will have a peer-review report before the board’s next meeting, giving the board time to address other matters pertaining to the project “while we’re trying to figure out how to access Route 58.” A site visit will be scheduled after Motta’s first peer review.

            Johnson estimated that the access road plan “is better than what is there now. It certainly can accommodate traffic from the 40R (affordable housing)” and addresses his problem with drivers making illegal left turns. “I do have a concern with Seasons losing an access and having that traffic converging in one spot,” he said.

            John Russell, representing Colbea Enterprises LLC, the owner of Seasons at 8 Cranberry Highway, addressed Steen’s plan to relocate the access road.

            “The line of sight is very important to our business,” he said, adding that the proposed relocation would adversely affect the mobility and safety of the trucks that feed the underground storage tanks at Seasons. “If we can’t come to some sort of an agreement, Colbea would have to exercise its rights and file an official appeal.”

            Ken Steen countered, saying, “We’re well within our rights to relocate that road as it is proposed.… we will defend that any day of the week.”

            Russell answered, “We will defend our right potentially in court. I hope we don’t have to go that route.”

            Johnson encouraged more discussion.

            Town Counsel Blair Bailey suggested that the board to “be prepared for the conversation coming down the road is if either of the traffic people have weighed in as to if the road stayed where it is.”

            Steen said his group can look into that.

            Bailey urged more dialogue.

            After an impassioned speech on the Seasons’ side by Mr. Carpini, Steen indicated his group can certainly get on a phone call and talk about it.

            A motion to continue the hearing to Tuesday, June 9, presumably at 7:00 pm, was accepted.

            The shortest hearing was arguably most important, as the board voted to pass the Flood Plain District Amendment, Section 21.10, Section 2 (formerly Section VII.2), approving new flood maps in time for Rochester’s June 22 town meeting.

            Blair Bailey explained that flood-plain maps are amended either by the agency or by a landowner appeal. FEMA puts the changes together and, any time FEMA amends the maps, Rochester must amend its local bylaw. The information is particularly important to landowners appealing the process from an insurance standpoint.

            The board heard discussion and continued the following cases to June 9: 

            Featherbed Lane South Solar LLC’s special permit application for a large-scale, south-facing, ground-mounted solar array; Clean Energy’s 1 megawatt, community solar project at 139 Sarah Sherman Road; and a 9.5 megawatt, ground-mounted solar array off of Braley Hill Road.

            The Planning Board also scheduled a site visit at Connet Woods for Thursday, June 4, at 4:00 pm.

Rochester Planning Board

By Mick Colageo