The Mattapoisett Republican Party invites everyone interested to join us on Tuesday, April 11 from 6:30 pm to 7:45 pm at the Mattapoisett Free Public Library, 7 Barstow Street.
Topics for discussion are: 1) The upcoming town elections, 2) Planning our May 3 Event, 3) Other local meetings that are of interest to everyone.
If interested, please attend or contact by email: ChairMattGOP@Gmail.com.
Rochester’s Conservation Commission started its Tuesday night meeting by signing off on a project by one of its own.
The board endorsed panel member William Clapp’s plan to build a four-bedroom, single-family home with paved driveway and septic system on a 2.5-acre lot at 0 Clapp Road by voting a Negative Determination on his Request for Determination of Applicability (RDA) application. In other words, the board decided the proposal would not result in any wetlands impact.
The presentation from Clapp’s spokesperson Matthew Leone was quick and straightforward. Bordering vegetative wetlands are to the north and east. The house will be located as much in the southwest corner as possible. Some brush and trees will be cleared but with erosion controls installed.
Leone explained the RDA was necessary because the well is being located close to the resource area. Conservation Agent Merilee Kelly reported the land is almost totally flat, implying her endorsement of the project.
Clapp recused himself from the discussion, as the board’s voting members unanimously approved the Negative Determination.
The commission’s next action was to resume fines against Doug Rose, the owner of property at 89 Box Turtle, as the dispute over his clearing land too close to wetlands without a permit continues unresolved nearly one year after the problem started.
Commission Chairman Christopher Gerrior reported speaking to Town Counsel on the issue. He learned that Rose’s attorney has been playing telephone tag with Rochester’s new legal team. By Tuesday, the only word Town Counsel had received from Rose’s counsel has been that the repair plan will be ready “shortly.”
“Our counsel said he’s dealt with this lawyer before,” Gerrior said. “He’s given me the idea that we should be starting up the fines again.”
Board member Ben Bailey quickly motioned to do just that, and the panel unanimously agreed.
“Every resident spends money to do this process the right way,” Clapp said after the vote. “This guy is making a mockery of that.”
Meanwhile, Gerrior said, the town will continue to spend money on this drawn-out process until it is resolved.
The next question became where the fine levels should start. Should they start at a lower level or continue on a higher level? The commission requested Kelly to consult with Town Counsel.
The board agreed a year ago to begin delivering “non-criminal enforcement tickets,” fining the property owner on a climbing scale of $50, then $100, then $300 per day in July of 2022.
The next two votes altered the Conservation Commission’s own practices going forward. The board approved moving its meetings back to Town Hall and to begin each meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag.
Gerrior asked the board’s preference on reciting the Pledge in response to a town resident’s request that all town boards start their meetings with the salute to the American flag. The panel, with no discussion, unanimously approved the new practice.
Gerrior then said he prefers the current meeting place, the Old Colony Regional Vocational-Technical High School library but wanted the board members’ opinions. The panel also unanimously approved the change to Town Hall.
The Rochester Conservation Commission will next meet on Tuesday, April 18, at 7:00 pm at Town Hall, 1 Constitution Way.
Rochester Conservation Commission
By Michael J. DeCicco
The Opossum is the only marsupial species on the North American continent where the young are born prematurely and subsequently brought to life in their mother’s pouch. She proceeds to wean them until they are old enough to be on their own. The Opossum is also the only mammal with a prehensile tail that can be used for grasping things like a human hand. Young Opossums sometimes hang by their tails, but when they are grown up, they are too heavy for hanging.
As in my illustration, the Opossum is the only mammal that has four fingers that are opposable on each of the hind feet that works like a human thumb to make it possible to pick up things like hands much better than other animals. The Opossum grows up to be as big as a full-grown cat that resembles a silver-colored rat with its naked ears and silver-colored fur coat. Their faces are almost pure white with four whiskers and a pink nose. The eyes look like two black shoe buttons.
The average adult grows to be about 24 to 26 inches long, including the tail, and usually weighs 6 to 12 pounds. It is usually a passive animal but can look ferocious when it displays all 50 teeth, while drooling and hissing at any person near it. They are also normally nocturnal by habit but can be comfortable in daylight when searching for food. Their ideal habitat for feeding is either woodland or farmland or even suburban neighborhoods with water nearby.
Their diet is omnivorous in the country or city by eating whatever they can catch including rats, mice, moles, slugs, snails, shrews, worms, beetles, ants, grasshoppers, crickets, frogs, garbage, fruit, corn, berries and even anything that looks like roadkill bodies. Their own roadkill during the darkness adds up to thousands of casualty deaths per year in even a small neighborhood. Any Opossum, when it sees roadkill during the night, tends to freeze in the headlights of an automobile.
Perhaps the most intriguing weakness is the sudden ability to play dead when they feel they are in danger. They quickly sink to the ground while their eyes gloss over, baring their teeth and lolling their tongue out of their mouth to one side. They rarely cause problems for people but often frighten almost anyone by appearing suddenly dead. They are more beneficial as scavengers than for any damage they might possibly do. A neighborhood with Opossums tends to be peaceful and safer than one without them.
By George B. Emmons
For approximately 150 years, the Mattapoisett section of Rochester had eight or nine boatyards. With this many yards, we would assume that vessels were always built near the ocean, but some came to life in some strange places. One sloop was built in a yard near a home and launched into a creek at Godspeed’s Island. Another schooner was built near Cushing Cemetery and had to be taken to the shore to be launched by Barstow’s Wharf. During this time of active building, it is estimated that between 400-500 vessels were built. At least 275 workmen were employed.
This brings us to the last ship built in 1878, the Wanderer. The Wanderer was 116 ft. in length and weighed in at 300 ton with a 27 ft. beam length, and it drew 15 ft. below sea level. It was the last whaling vessel to sail out of New Bedford Harbor.
The Wanderer was a veteran ship that like most whalers was a 3 masted bark with a crew of about 30 men, many from towns such as Rochester. Like all whalers, it was a “factory ship” that processed oil on sight from captured whales. The Wanderer had a “case” or reservoir in the hold for the retrieved oil and large storage casks.
In her early days, the ship spent summers off the coast of Africa where there were plenty of whales: right sperm and humpback. At various intervals, they would put into a port. about every six months. They put into St. Helena where they would meet the Lottie Beard, a supply ship, from New Bedford, and they would get mail and packages from home. Winter whaling sometimes took place in the lower latitudes near Cape Horn. The weather there was most often cold, foggy and stormy and whales were scarce.
The type of whale captured made a difference in the success of a voyage. Humpback whales were swift movers and took more than one boat on a “Nantucket sleigh ride.” They would also sink when they died, and sailors would have to tie them off on their boats and wait for the next day when they would float to the surface. The oil of the humpback was worth half of the oil from a sperm whale.
The Wanderer was known as a lucky ship with few serious accidents or fatalities. She was also a successful vessel. In her first four- year voyage, she returned home with 2,600 barrels of oil. In 1917, she brought in 6,200 barrels, possibly a record in whaling history.
A small newspaper clipping in our files from The Star of November 27, 1909, reports that the whaling bark, Wanderer, was brought to Fairhaven to be hauled out on the city railway. “She had been started when a link in the big chain which hauls the carriage parted.” The Wanderer slid into the river and was towed back to New Bedford.
The Wanderer plied the ocean from June 4, 1878 until Aug. 26, 1924, when she suffered an untimely fate. Readying for her final voyage, she was moored off Cuttyhunk when a hurricane dashed her on the rocks and the “wind and sea tore her apart”.
By Connie Eshbach
A rabies clinic for cats and dogs will be held on Sunday, April 23 from 10 am until 12 noon at the old Mattapoisett Fire Station which is located at 26 County Road. The fee for the vaccination is $15. Cats must be in carriers and dogs must be leashed. Dog licensing for Mattapoisett residents will be offered. License fees are $12 for intact animals and $9 for those that have been altered. Payment by cash or check only will be accepted. This clinic is open to all regardless of residency. Please bring proof of prior rabies vaccination if a 3-year shot is desired.
Mark your calendars, music lovers. On Saturday, April 29, the Mattapoisett Museum is hosting an epic event that you wouldn’t want to miss. Come and join Four Bridges, a New England-based Bluegrass band, as they perform live at the museum.
Let us introduce you to the talented band members:
Jeremy Place is a music educator, plays mandolin, guitar and banjo and sings. He writes songs and bakes bread at night after tucking his kids in for bed.
Benjamin Marshall, who plays banjo, guitar, mandolin, fiddle, bass and sings, grew up listening to Flatt & Scruggs, and his love for bluegrass shows in his performances.
Greg Ferreira, a classically trained pianist, is also a skilled mandolin, guitar, banjo, harmonica, fiddle, bass player and singer. Bill Monroe & the Stanleys inspired him to play bluegrass.
Lastly, we have Nelson Hiller, a talented songwriter from Mattapoisett, who plays bass, mandolin and guitar and sings. He’s known for his infectious energy that gets everyone in the mood for some bluegrass fun.
This is an event for everyone, so bring your family and friends. As Nelson Hiller says, “We’ll have you dancing, crying, hootin’ and hollerin’.” Four Bridges is a well-seasoned band that loves to perform, and their passion shines through in their music. Doors open at 7 pm, and the show starts at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $15 for general admission. Patron and Sustainer level Mattapoisett Museum members get 10% off two tickets for this event.
For more information, please visit the museum’s website, www.mattapoisettmuseum.org/events to learn more and to purchase tickets. Get your tickets now, and let’s have a night full of bluegrass music. Contact info@mattapoisettmuseum.org with any questions.
There is fundamental disagreement among the members of the Marion Planning Board on the merits of town’s Inclusionary Housing Zoning Bylaw (230-8.12), and the airing of those views extended Monday night’s public meeting at the Police Station to nearly two and a half hours.
More than half the meeting had already been dedicated to the Public Hearing for the Zoning bylaw changes that will ultimately appear on the 2023 Annual Town Meeting Warrant, pursuant to Massachusetts General Law Chapter 40A, Section 5 and the town’s General Bylaws.
Though the Public Hearing was a necessarily tedious exercise involving meticulous attention padded by time for community input, the subsequent discussion on the existing Inclusionary Housing Zoning Bylaw focused an intense debate on one subject.
Planning Board member Jon Henry had introduced the subject for a relatively brief discussion on March 20, and Chairman Norm Hills saw fit to put the item on the April 3 agenda. At the last meeting, Hills sat back and heard each member’s take on the controversial bylaw, giving his viewpoint at the end. On Monday night, he went first.
Handing out a page-plus of prepared comments, Hills read his synopsis of the bylaw, summarizing its background, pertinent issues and finally, his conclusions.
Citing the fact the town has only “conditionally” exceeded the state’s 10% Subsidized Housing Inventory requirement (via Ken Steen’s 120-unit, rental project to be built off Route 6) and what he sees as a continuing need for affordable housing, Hills strongly recommended Marion keeping the Inclusionary Housing Zoning Bylaw in place.
The Marion bylaw approved by voters in 2003 requires any residential project of six or more units to include specified, subsidized-housing units to achieve compliance with Massachusetts General Law 40B.
“We need to take care of the elderly who have been the backbone of this town. … Anything else is just segregating the economic pattern in the town,” said Planning Board member Eileen Marum, citing an underlying ideological issue.
Marum asserted that the affordable-housing problem stems from public policies that discriminate against minorities, women and single parents. She cited Residence C and D zoning allowing one house on 2 acres of land. “Marion right now is in violation of this law. It has exclusionary zoning,” she said.
Marum figures that 10 houses or town houses or condominiums would go a long way toward addressing the housing shortage. She cited recent words from Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll stating that Massachusetts needs 200,000 family units. “It needs to be focused on affordable housing because these people have been segregated,” said Marum.
Citing support for senior citizens in town, board member Alanna Nelson strongly threw her support behind an ongoing drive to build more rather than less affordable housing in Marion.
Nelson supported Hills’ contention that the Inclusionary Housing Zoning Bylaw remain in place and repeatedly suggested that the town’s think tank go to work beyond the bylaw debate on new ideas to create housing solutions.
On the opposite side of the argument were Henry and fellow board member Andrew Daniel, who supported local developer Sherman Briggs’ long-held assertion that the Inclusionary Housing Zoning Bylaw de-incentivizes the construction of market-rate housing that they insist is vital to the town’s future because it generates more tax revenue.
“There are other ways to do this,” said Daniel, who suggested zoning changes that would allow higher density of single-family homes. The debate got heated, as Marum challenged Daniel to provide an alternative scheme in writing.
Developers, Henry and Daniel insisted, find the bylaw too punitive to their business and cited the absence of a single, market-rate housing project over the 20-year life of the bylaw as proof. In their estimation, the giant rental project being built near the Wareham town line will not yield the necessary tax revenue to help Marion solve the economic challenges presented by infrastructural deterioration.
Hills argued against this point, saying that while the state Department of Housing and Community Development counts all the units in a (partially) subsidized project as affordable housing, “Any unit at market rate gets taxed at market rate, not anything less.”
Board member Chris Collings said that the 10% affordable-housing threshold means nothing if the town does not “sunset” it upon achieving 10%. “If that doesn’t have any meaning, then we’re just moving the goalposts,” he said. “How do we incentive developers to do other projects is another affair.”
Hills argued that since Steen has yet to pull a building permit in association with the 120-unit, low-income, rental project, Marion could, after a year has passed since the 2022 approval of his project, fall back under the 10% affordable-housing threshold and forfeit its right to reject a future 40B housing application.
Collings also sought to put a number to “market rate” housing, asserting that young families cannot afford to buy such homes in Marion.
Member Tucker Burr agreed.
“Whatever house you buy in Marion, you’re going to be able to buy twice the house in Wareham,” said Burr, who went further outside the box and told the membership he suspects the majority of Marion’s residents don’t want to see any more housing, period.
Hills considered that scenario unrealistic.
Seeking more definitive terms, Burr also took issue with language that says the town “might” apply the bylaw.
When the floor was opened to public comment, Briggs argued for elimination of the bylaw, thereby incentivizing developers to build market-rate housing that theoretically would add more tax revenue to Marion’s coffers.
If, with an updated census, Marion were to land at 12% affordable housing, Briggs told Hills he calculated it would take the addition of 680 more market-rate housing units in order for increased population to push the town back under 10% in affordable housing.
Open Space Acquisition Commission Chairman John Rockwell, attending via Zoom, explained that he was on the Planning Board in 2003 when the Inclusionary Housing Zoning Bylaw was brought to Town Meeting. Rockwell suggested that eliminating the bylaw would increase the burden on taxpayers.
Citing the impasse at 9:25 pm, Nelson, who was attending the meeting via Zoom, moved that the rest of the agenda be canceled and that the meeting be adjourned. All agreed.
The Public Hearing for the Zoning Bylaw changes for the 2023 Annual Town Meeting Warrant that preceded the affordable-housing discussion tackled a variety of subjects, the articles for which needed further editing per board and public comment and in some cases, were altogether scrapped.
An article that would have stipulated that citizens’ petitions for Annual or Special Town Meeting must be delivered to the Select Board office no later than 60 days prior to said meeting was considered excessive by Daniel, Burr and also by Select Board Chairman Randy Parker, who considered it basically unfair.
Burr suggested citizens should be afforded equal access via the timeline as elected officials and said he would leave it at 14 days. Parker says the article would take away the rights of the taxpayers. Daniel said a citizens’ petition should be able to come in any time prior to the closing of the warrant.
Another article approving the addition of accessory apartments above businesses of 5,000 square feet or less was debated by Rockwell, who considers the space to be “twice the size of most people’s houses” and could cause the Planning Board to “lose the ability to turn down something that doesn’t work for the town.”
Rockwell also suggested interviewing the business community for feedback on an article that would use 5,000 square feet as a point of demarcation to sidestep the Planning Board and allow smaller businesses less bureaucracy.
Hills said that Building Commissioner Bob Grillo has been extremely helpful in pointing out conflicts in potential warrant articles.
The next meeting of the Marion Planning Board is scheduled for Tuesday, April 18, at 7:00 pm.
Marion Planning Board
By Mick Colageo
A lot is on the calendar for the Rochester Historical Society in the upcoming months.
April 19’s meeting is Rochester’s Past Celebrations 7:00 at the museum 355 County Rd.
May 7 at 2:00 in front of Town Hall, we will join with the Rochester Historical Commission to dedicate our new Revolutionary War Memorial
May 17, Nettie Hopkins will be talking Bees 7:00 at the Museum
June 11 at 1:00 we will be touring the Center Cemetery to explore what we didn’t get to last year
June 21, Charles Rowley will be presenting “Mapping Rochester” again 7:00 at the Museum
This is just a quick look at what will be happening this year with more to come.
SouthCoast Spring Arts returns to the Marion Art Center (the MAC) with seven events during the regional festival scheduled May 5-14. SouthCoast Spring Arts is a 10-day event celebrating the arts in our communities by connecting innovative, creative and affordable art and cultural events in communities across the region, from Fall River to Wareham. Spring Arts events at the MAC are hands-on, interactive and are offered at low cost or for free. View all MAC events at www.marionartcenter.org/scspringarts.
The MAC will kick off the festival with the MAC Readers’ Theater & Open Mic with Luncheon, at the Benjamin D. Cushing Community Center on Friday, May 5 from 12:00-2:00 pm. The MAC Readers’ Theater Group will present a series of poems, skits, short stories and excerpts. The program will begin at noon with a lunch prepared by the Community Center’s chef, followed by a 1:00 pm Readers’ Theater performance. Members of the audience can join the fun, too, reading short pieces, poems, or excerpts during an “open mic” portion later in the program. Material should be submitted ahead of time for consideration by emailing Jack Boesen at jackboesen@gmail.com. The cost is just $5 per person for lunch. To register, contact the Community Center by calling 508-748-3570 by Wednesday, May 3 at 12:00 pm. Those who wish to skip lunch and attend just the readers’ theater portion starting at 1:00 pm may do so free of charge.
Attend a Paint and Sip Workshop with artist Barbara Healy on Saturday, May 6, 1:00-3:00 pm at the Marion Art Center. Paint your own version of a beautiful sailboat in this fun workshop. We’ll paint together using water-based acrylics on canvas. Barbara and her assistant will guide you through each step of the process as you get in touch with your inner artist and enjoy sipping wine along the way. Everyone’s sailboat will be a little different. You’ll leave with a painting and maybe some new favorite wines. You must be 21 or older to register. Please wear clothes you can paint in. In case of rain, the class workshop will move to the MAC studio. The cost is $30 per person and includes all materials and wine tasting. Register at marionartcenter.org/events.
See a film screening in the MAC’s Anne Braitmayer Webb Theater. The Sippican Historical Society will present Frederick Wiseman’s film EX LIBRIS – The New York Public Library on Saturday, May 6, 3:00-6:30 pm at the MAC. EX LIBRIS goes behind the scenes of one of the greatest knowledge institutions in the world and reveals it as a place of welcome, cultural exchange and learning. With 92 locations throughout Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island, the library is committed to being a resource for all the inhabitants of this multifaceted and cosmopolitan city, and beyond. During intermission, learn more about our local institution, the Elizabeth Taber Library, presented in the context of the traditional and modern roles of libraries as discussed in the film. Guests may bring their own snacks or beverages to enjoy, and popcorn will be provided by the MAC. Total runtime of film: 197 minutes. This event is free, but registration is required.
Take a Tap Dancing Workshop for adults (ages 15+ also welcome) with MAC Dance Academy’s program leader Teah Keogh on Thursday, May 11 from 6:00-7:30 pm. This workshop is for adults who need to tap out of “adulting”. Want more happiness and bit less seriousness added to your week? This one-hour tap class provides percussive playtime for adults (and teens ages 15 and up) that “taps” into our inner courage, creativity and strengthens our physical and mental health. This basic level beginner tap class is geared toward those who have had little or no tap training, but will also be fun for anyone who has worn tap shoes before. Light refreshments will be served after the session, and participants will have a chance to mix and mingle. Registrants may bring their own shoes or borrow a previously loved pair from the MAC. Comfortable clothing recommended. The cost is $20 per person, with a capacity of 15 people.
Head to the MAC on Friday, May 12 from 5:00-7:00 pm for the opening reception of our new exhibit featuring paintings by Anne Carrozza Remick and Stephen Remick. See Anne Remick’s still life paintings which celebrate the beauty found in “the solitude of simple objects” through her use of expressive color and unexpected composition. Paintings by Stephen Remick include landscapes, plein air paintings, and some figurative works that capture the “backyard and beyond.” Anne and Steve both graduated from Swain School of Design and currently live together in Dartmouth. The show runs May 12-June 24. Guests will have the opportunity to meet the artists and ask questions. The reception is free and open to the public.
See an original play presented by the MAC Theater Playwrights Incubator (MTPI), An Hour with Eleanor on Saturday, May 13 from 3:00-4:30 pm. MTPI is pleased to present a new play by first time playwright Cynthia Krause. Krause was selected for the inaugural year of the MTPI program for her short play, a one-woman performance titled An Hour with Eleanor. It is a fictional telling of the life of Eleanor Roosevelt, based on historical events. The play explores a life of joys and sorrows experienced by this controversial political figure who, along with being the wife of an American president, was a catalyst for social change in her own right. Audience members follow her life’s journey working toward the betterment of her world. Mentors for the first year of the MTPI program include Maura Van Voris and Richard Van Voris. The play is directed by Richard Van Voris and features Linda Monchik as Eleanor Roosevelt. Guests will enjoy this debut tea time performance followed by an informal discussion with the director, actor, and playwright, plus light refreshments. The cost to attend is $8 per person.
Attend a Prohibition Party (BYOB) with Buttonwood Brass on Saturday, May 13 from 6:30-9:00 pm. Put together your 1920’s attire and bring your favorite “bootleg” beverage of choice. Enjoy the MAC’s speakeasy-cabaret atmosphere in the MAC Theater and galleries while listening to Buttonwood Brass, a versatile ensemble performing Jazz Standards, Classical, New Orleans, Roaring Twenties and the Great American Songbook from the Prohibition Era. Guests are encouraged to dress the part. Light snacks will be provided by the MAC. The cost to attend is $15 per person. Learn more and register for events at marionartcenter.org/events.
Looking for a fun & meaningful activity to get you (and your family) out of the house this Earth Day? The Marion Department of Public Works and Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts of Marion Troop 32 will sponsor the town’s annual Earth Day Cleanup.
The event will be held on Saturday, April 22 from 9 am to 12 pm at Washburn Park on Front Street. Trash bags, gloves and safety vests will be provided.
In addition, Gifts to Give will have a trailer there to collect items for those in need. Please follow this link for a list of items they accept.
Lastly, as many of you know, the Scouts have lost a large amount of equipment and memorabilia in a fire at the beginning of the month of March. Donations will be accepted for The Camp Hadley Trust and scouts during this event as well. We hope to see you there.