SLT Leads Superb-Owl Walk

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Join Sippican Lands Trust (SLT) for a winter “Superb-Owl” Walk in honor of Super Bowl Sunday on February 3. This crepuscular walk in the woods will start at 4:00 pm and end by 5:30 pm back in time to leisurely head off for the Patriots-Rams’ kick-off.

The walk will start behind the Marion Institute and Baldwin Brother parking lot located at 202 Spring Street in Marion. The walk will head to the railroad bed and paths behind the Marion Institute and Baldwin Brother and continue down the railroad path within walking distance of some Sippican Lands Trust properties as well as town open space properties in this forested area. While hearing an owl early in the evening would be nice, it isn’t a sure thing. Owls are busy with their nesting time and hopefully calling more than often.

The walk is free and no registration is required. The walk is weather dependent and participants should be dressed for muddy paths and/or frozen stretches. Headlamps or flashlights are suggested for the walk back to the parking area and the walk will cover approximately 1.5 to 2 miles depending upon the pace of participants. If the Superb-Owl Walk is canceled due to inclement weather, then information will be posted to SLT’s website and Facebook page. For more information about this walk contact SLT at info@sippicanlandstrust.org, 508-748-3080, or visit www.sippicanlandstrust.org.

Thank you to the Marion Institute for permission to park in their lot for this walk.

ORR & Fairhaven Alumni Hockey

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All hockey alumni from Old Rochester High School, Fairhaven High School, & the current ORFH Co-op hockey program are invited to participate in this alumni game to benefit the current ORFH ice hockey program.  The minimum donation to participate is $35.00, although anyone can donate to help support the program regardlesss. The event will take place on February 23at 5:00 pm at Tabor Academy.  If you cannot play, but would like to participate in another way or simply contribute, please contact us for details. There is limited space available for players and positions so please contact the group at ORFHhockeyalum@gmail.com for all additional details and sign up information.

Jane K. Ellis

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Jane K. Ellis, 93, of Rochester, died Thursday, January 24, 2019 at Alden Court in Fairhaven.

Born in New Bedford, she was the daughter of the late Arthur and Mildred (Fearing) Kirby.  A lifelong resident of Rochester, Jane served the town working in many different capacities. She was the first clerk of the town hall in 1956 and promoted to executive secretary in 1966.  She also was the first town accountant during that time from 1966 to 1972.  In 1972 she was worked for the Town of Mattapoisett and from 1980 to 1986 worked for the Town of Fairhaven from where she retired.  After her retirement, she worked part-time for the Rochester Board of Health.  She also served in many volunteer positions in Rochester as a member of the Industrial Development Finance Authority, an election worker and teller, deputy inspector and inspector, and as an assessor.

Jane was a longtime member of the Rochester Congregational Church, and a member of the Sippican Choral Society.

She is survived by her son Alton K. Ellis of Middleboro, and many nieces and nephews.  She was predeceased by her son, the late Timothy Ellis, and her siblings, the late George Kirby, William Kirby, Margaret Benner, Ruth Kirby, and Dorothy Ouellette

Her memorial service will be held on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019 at the First Congregational Church of Rochester, 11 Constitution Way, Rochester at 11:00 AM to be followed by a light lunch.  Inurnment will be in Rochester Center Cemetery, Rochester in the spring.

Donations in her memory may be made to First Congregational Church of Rochester, P.O. Box 98, Rochester, MA 02770 OR Rochester Firefighters Assoc., 4 Pine St., Rochester, MA 02770 OR Sippican Choral Society, P.O. Box 709, Marion, MA 02738.  For directions and on-line guestbook visit: www.ccgfuneralhome.com

Harriet E. (Dugas) Gray

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Harriet E. (Dugas) Gray, 91, of Fairhaven died peacefully on January 24, 2019 at Alden Court Nursing Care and Rehabilitation Center surrounded by her family.

She was the wife of the late Robert J. Gray.

Harriet was born in Pawtucket, RI, daughter of the late Theodore F. and Harriet (Burns) Dugas. Harriet graduated from St. Xavier’s Academy in Providence, RI and continued her education at Pembroke College an extension of Brown University.

After Harriet and Bob were married, they started their life together in Pawtucket, RI, then moved to Cumberland, RI, followed by Woodcliff Lake, NJ, and finally settled in Raynham, MA where they resided for 30 years. After Bob’s death, Harriet moved to Middleboro, where she lived until her health declined.

First and foremost, Harriet was a wife, mother and homemaker to Bob and their four children. Harriet and Bob enjoyed square dancing for over 30 years. Harriet had many other talents including painting, sewing, needle point, crafting and playing the organ.

They were communicants of St. Anne’s Church in Raynham where Harriet was involved with the Women’s Guild for many years. She also loved her volunteer time at Morton Hospital in Taunton. Harriet and Bob enjoyed solving New York Times crossword puzzles while sitting by the pool or at the beach. They spent many happy times at Second Beach in Newport together with family and friends. She and Bob were fortunate to have traveled to many places around the world throughout their lives.

With all that said, Harriet’s biggest joy, came from spending time with her grandchildren. Her smile lit up the room whenever they were around her.

Survivors include her daughter, Susan Gray Davis of South Pasadena, CA; two sons, Robert Gray of Raynham, MA and Christopher J. and his wife Lisa (Di Monte) Gray of Mattapoisett, MA; five grandchildren, Christopher M. Gray, Justin Gray, Nicholas Gray, Ian Gray, Michael Danielson and several nieces and a nephew.

She was the mother of the late Michael J. Gray and the sister of the late Theodore Dugas and J. Vincent Dugas.

The family wishes to thank the staff, CNAs and nurses on the Whitfield Unit at Alden Court for their compassionate and quality care for the last five years. Harriet will forever be remembered on the Whitfield unit for her Palm Beach Attire and her quick wit which she delivered with a roll of her eyes and wave of her hand.

Harriet, Mum, Nana will be greatly missed by her loving family.

Visiting hours will be held on Saturday, February 2nd from 11 am -2 pm followed by a Catholic prayer service at the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Rt. 6, Mattapoisett, MA.

In lieu of flowers, donations should be made to Beacon Hospice, 182 N. Main St., Fall River, MA 02720.

For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

Florence R. (Rose) Monterio

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Florence R. (Rose) Monterio, 96, of Marion, died January 28, 2019 at home. She was the widow of the late Antone E. Monterio and the daughter of the late Aurelio and Caroline (Renney) Rose.

She was born in Marion and lived there all of her life. She graduated from New Bedford Vocational School.

Mrs. Monterio worked as a solderer for Cornell Dubilier in New Bedford for many years. During WWII she worked for the Hingham Shipyard as a welder.

She was a member of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Wareham and the Ladies Auxiliary of the former Benjamin D. Cushing Post 2425.

She was an avid Bingo player and Patriots fan. She enjoyed cooking, sewing, knitting, and furniture refinishing & upholstering.

Survivors include 3 daughters, Kathleen M. Monterio of Middleboro, Deborah Curry of Upper Marlboro, MD and Alice Monterio of Greenville, SC; a son, Stephen Rose of Marion; a sister, Dorothy Pope of Dartmouth; 16 grandchildren; 29 great grandchildren and 3 great great grandchildren; several nephews and nieces. She was predeceased by her son, Harry Monterio and her stepson, Anthony Monterio and her siblings, Dominga Merreles, Anna James, Domingo Rose, Louise Tucker, David Rose and Arthur Rose.

Visiting hours are from 4 to 7 pm on Thursday, January 31, 2019 at the Chapman, Cole & Gleason Funeral Home, 2599 Cranberry Hwy., Wareham.

Her funeral will be held at 10:00 am on Friday, Feb. 1, 2019 in the Church of the Good Shepherd, 74 High St., Wareham. Burial will follow in Center Cemetery, Wareham.

Donations in her memory may be made to Southcoast Hospice, 200 Mill Rd., Fairhaven, MA 02719.

Sippican Historical Society

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

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

This installment features 152 Front Street.  Another indication of Wharf Village’s rise as an important commercial and residential center is the former Handy’s Tavern at 152 Front Street.  Built in 1812, it was a popular gathering place for mariners after completing a day’s work on the waterfront or celebrating the successful conclusion of a voyage.  Perhaps more importantly, it was a stop on the Plymouth-to-New Bedford stagecoach route. The coming of the railroad to Marion in 1855 effectively terminated operations at Handy’s Tavern.  By that time, it was owned by former whaling captain Ben Handy, who commanded a famous whaler called the Admiral Blake.

Residents Squint at Latest Solar Proposal

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The January 22 meeting of the Rochester Planning Board proved to be a long night’s journey under a fading Blood Moon, as three solar array projects came before the members.

First up with an informal presentation and discussion of a proposed solar array field on Marion Road located on property owned by Craig Canning, Rochester Farms LLC.

Represented by Sarah Rosenblat of SWEB Development, Canning’s project caused one abutter to tear up, and another to question how impacted his views would be once the solar panels were installed.

Rosenblat described a project where the panels would be installed on 2-foot tall support racks, meaning that the completed installation could not be seen from the roadway once the 7-foot tall stockade fencing was installed along with additional screening of native trees and plantings.

The 4-megawatt system will be one of the largest solar energy projects in the area, but Rosenblat asserted that that did not equate to more construction noise or disruption. She estimated that the project would take approximately six to eight weeks to build.

The Planning Board members for their part were primarily concerned with how the completed project would appear to the abutters and if the low profile of the panels would impact their efficiency in collecting the sun’s energy.

There was also some discussion amongst the board members as to whether or not the developer should be required to lease the screened areas as well as the production acreage versus simply using easement rights to maintain landscaping. This would become a bigger bone of contention when the next informal discussion came before the commission.

Abutter Dolores Dernier, 198 Marion Road, whose property is next door to the Canning property began her comment by saying, “I’m not going to object…” but found herself overcome by emotion and needed a moment to collect her thoughts, continuing on to lament “how one family can block my beautiful view.”

While the board was sympathetic, they also recognized Canning’s right to develop his property, with Chairman Arnold Johnson saying, “This wasn’t the project we wanted.” He also assured those in attendance that this was just an informal discussion and nothing was set in stone yet.

Rosenblat said Canning plans to continue to farm much of his acreage, but that some other parcels might be sold in the future. She said a rental agreement with Canning and a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) agreement with the town were the financial plans for the project.

But the board members also struggled with the height of the solar racks and their concern that heavy snowfall would bury the panels, prompting Planning Board member Ben Bailey to ask, “Is design of the project really up to us?” He thought it wasn’t in the purview of the Planning Board to concern itself with the design of the project but instead to focus on the screening of the project, while Johnson took a more holistic approach, believing the entire project was their responsibility.

“I disagree: I don’t think we should tell them about their design,” Bailey said.

Rosenblat presented 3-D renderings and visual simulation of what the project would look like once completed, and agreed to check several other abutters’ views before returning with more fleshed out technical documents.

Johnson said that, with a long list of large, complicated projects coming before the Planning Board in the coming months, the board would only be hearing such cases once a month versus several times in any given month. Canning’s project is awaiting a formal filing, so a continuation date was not noted at this time; however, a peer-review consultant fee of $3,000 was set.

Clean Energy Collective was next for their informal discussion of a proposed solar array on Sarah Sherman Road. Represented by Evan Watson of Prime Engineering, and Doug Carton of Clean Energy Collective, their project plans were basic and not ready for more than that, as Watson discussed the placement of solar panels well away from jurisdictional wetlands. He said, given the location of the solar arrays away from roadways and most existing structures, extensive screening might not be necessary. Watson invited the board members to visit the site, which was agreed upon.

Then once again came the issue of easements used for landscaping and screening purposes versus leased lands.

Johnson argued that leased lands stood a better change of being maintained for screening purposes versus easements. Watson and Carton countered that it was a matter of liability for the developer. Bailey again said he wasn’t opposed to expanding the leased area, but questioned if the board had the right to mandate such a business detail, saying, “What is our authority?” After further debate it was determined that town counsel should weigh in on the parameters of the board’s authority in such matters.

Borrego Solar Systems, represented by Steve Long, also came before the Planning Board as his solar array project located on Rounseville Road was faulted by the board for flooding on Mendell Road.

Long tried to explain that the stormwater flow could not have been anticipated, a point questioned by Johnson at several intersections in the conversation, and that they were working towards the removal of berms so that water would move away from the roadway. Johnson said that the removal of eight acres of mature pine trees was the problem, that the trees not only soaked up water they also held water back. Long countered that his project did not add more water to the property than prior to clearing, a point lost on the board members. Long will instruct the construction crew to remove berms and monitor stormwater flow moving forward.

Also coming before the board in a continued public hearing was Bob Rogers of G.A.F. Engineering for a site plan review for property owned by Decas Real Estate Trust. The project is a planned conversion of an existing building for a daycare center. Stormwater plans were reviewed and Rogers pointed out changes that were made at the request of the Planning Board.

Things moved along smoothly until Johnson told Rogers that, given the heavy agendas anticipated in the coming weeks, his project wouldn’t be heard at the first meeting in February. Rogers took umbrage to having his client’s project pushed off, and urged the board to hear their filing as a pending real estate closing in April was in jeopardy. Johnson relented, as did the other board members. The application was continued until February 12.

The next meeting of the Rochester Planning Board is scheduled for February 12 at 7:00 pm at the Rochester Town Hall.

Rochester Planning Board

By Marilou Newell

Building Our Largest Dementia

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To the Editor:

Congress just passed the Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act with a strong bipartisan vote. Now that BOLD is law, I want to thank Congressman William Keating for championing this meaningful legislation. The BOLD Act will allow effective Alzheimer’s public health interventions to be implemented across the country. Thanks to the Congressman’s support for BOLD, we will now be able to fight this devastating disease as we continue to work towards our vision of a world without Alzheimer’s. I am confident he will continue to prioritize this disease as a public health crisis that must be addressed. I have the honor of serving as Alzheimer’s Ambassador to Congressman Keating. He has consistently supported all our legislative requests and understands the need for the support of the U.S. Congress in aggressively fighting this devastating disease.

Every 65 seconds someone develops Alzheimer’s Disease. It is the 6th leading cause of death. Over 5 million people are living with Alzheimer’s; 130,000 of them live in Massachusetts. There is no prevention, no effective treatment, and no cure. Alzheimer’s ends the lives of more people than prostrate and breast cancer combined. According to the Alzheimer’s Association 2018 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures by 2050 the total cost of care for Alzheimer’s is projected to increase to more than $1.1 trillion. The report also revealed that Alzheimer’s-related costs soared to $277 billion in the last year, including $186 billion in costs to Medicare and Medicaid. Passage of the BOLD Act underscores how elected officials are working together to address Alzheimer’s as a public health crisis – not just from a funding standpoint, but also from a caregiver standpoint. Most caregivers are unpaid family members.

I understand what this illness does to the individual and the family because my partner was diagnosed in 2008. She died in 2015. For 8.5 years I watched an intelligent, energetic woman gradually disappear until she could no longer care for herself, could not speak, could not eat solid food. I am not certain she knew who I was, but I believe she knew I was the person who loved her and was there for her every day. I don’t want others to have to face the toll this horrible disease takes on a family.

In Massachusetts we are fortunate to have the support of our federal and state legislators in this fight. By applying a public heath approach to reduce risk, detect early symptoms and advance care Congressman Keating is helping to change the trajectory of Alzheimer’s. To learn more about Alzheimer’s and how you can join the fight to end this disease visit alz.org.

Respectfully submitted,

Barbara A. Meehan

                  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 Women’s Club

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The next meeting of the Rochester Women’s Club will be held on February 6at 6:30 pm. This is our annual pot luck dinner and always delicious. We will be discussing a few upcoming in-house projects that we are about to tackle. If we have not seen you in a while, please think about attending our Famous Pot Luck Dinner. It always brings a smile to every one’s face. We have some of the best cooks around.

Please call or text Marsha at 508-322-0998 by Friday, February 1 to let her know what you will be bringing.

The Rochester Women’s Club usually meets on the first Wednesday of each month at 12:00 pm. Our Club House is located at 37 Marion Road (RT 105) in Rochester.  You need not be a Rochester resident to attend or join. We welcome women from all over this planet.

School Committee Delays Field Rehab Proposal Vote

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No one attending the Old Rochester Regional School Committee meeting on January 17 disagreed that the athletic fields at ORR are in need of improvement, and a facilities subcommittee that night presented its revised and downsized $2 million plan to the ORR School Committee and the public. But the School Committee will hold off on taking a vote to advance that proposal forward until the weeks just before the annual town meetings of the three towns.

ORR School Committee Chairman Carey Humphrey said that subcommittee recently met with various selectmen, town administrators, and finance committee members who urged the subcommittee to consider having the School Committee save its vote to advance the proposal until the spring so it can be forwarded as a warrant article on the annual town meeting warrants.

“We listened because we want to have a collaborative work towards a solution,” said Humphrey. “We’re not here as a group or subcommittee to try to push an agenda toward the towns, the selectmen, and town administrators that would cause problems. That’s not what were here for.”

And although not all stakeholders agree on all the aspects of the matter, Humphrey said, “… but we’re here for similar reasons.

“We walked away from that meeting feeling like we have a positive path towards getting on the warrant for the town meeting.” The subcommittee’s goal, he continued, “is to get this to town meeting so that our citizens can decide if they want to approve this, and that’s kind of where we’re at today,” Humphrey said.

During a 20-minute slide presentation, Hal Rood, an advocate for the athletics complex rehab project, broke down the project that has been reduced in scope and price, from $5 million to $2 million. Rood, an original member of the 501(C)(3) group known as T.U.R.F. (Tri-Town Unified Recreational Facilities), helped organize a group of citizens interested in studying ways to improve the athletic complex at ORR that Rood said is “over-used” and “in need of help.”

Using funds raised by T.U.R.F., the group had an engineer draft a design that included repairing the running track, two artificial turf fields, including the main field, two other full-sized grass multi-purpose fields and irrigation for those and the baseball diamond, a field house with bathrooms and concession stand, partial re-fencing of the tennis courts, irrigation and care for the softball field, LED lighting, spectator seating for the track and multi-use field, and a covered press box.

The project has been scaled down to one artificial turf field at the main stadium, lighting upgrades, a new track, and also new lighting and sound equipment for the auditorium to benefit the drama club.

According to Rood, the current state of the main field at ORR leaves student athletes at a higher risk of falls and concussions because the ground is so compacted. This also causes drainage issues, a reason why the soccer team had to play many of its games away from ORR when the field was underwater, Rood said. Artificial turf instead of grass, he said, would allow the amount of usage the field currently obliges, which is far too much for natural grass.

But the $2 million project will require approval by voters at the three towns’ annual town meeting before moving forward any further.

Breaking down the cost, Rood said if the project was financed through a 15-year loan, the average single-family size home in Mattapoisett would see an annual tax increase of about $19, about $25 in Marion, and just over $34 in Rochester.

The project cost, Rood said, includes all the “soft costs” as well as a 10% design and construction contingency. Rood added that perhaps Marion and Mattapoisett Community Preservation Act funding could be used to help fund the project.

“I was elected to represent the students and their parents,” said Humphrey. “I look at this project as – we have a great school system, we have great leadership, we have great academics, we have a great athletics director, we have champion athletics teams … we have award winning performing arts students…. I believe that as a participant of this group that this is a project that’s well worth our support.”

The next meeting of the Old Rochester Regional School Committee is scheduled for February 27 at 6:30 pm in the ORR Junior High School media room.

Old Rochester Regional School Committee

By Jean Perry