Town Happy with Protection Clause

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            Rochester’s Planning Board Tuesday approved a one-year extension of the amended special permits for a proposed Large-Scale Photovoltaic Installation in a Ground Water Protection district on a Scenic Highway (Route 105) on Braley Hill Road.

            At the Planning Board’s last meeting, the applicant’s attorney, Gregory Sampson, was instructed to return with the standard language for an insurance contract that protects the town as well as the applicant from insurance liability. On August 13, Planning Board Chairman Arnold Johnson was happy with Sampson’s response, that the applicant’s insurance policy will protect the town from damages as well.

            Sampson also noted good news regarding how much damage can occur should the glass panels shatter in a severe storm. The panels are on a slant, he said, so the shards will collect at their bottom end, not on the ground. Johnson concluded by asking that an approval letter be drafted that the board will sign at its next (August 27) meeting.

            Next, another project overseen by Sampson was not so successful. A public hearing to amend and extend the special permits for a proposed solar-energy installation on 128 acres at 529, 523 and 0 Snipatuit Road and Featherbed Lane within the Mattapoisett River Valley Watershed and Groundwater Protection district received a continuance to August 27 without a decision.

            As was the case with the Braley Hill project, Johnson said, the board must await Field Engineering’s word on how performance-bond amounts will be changed with the extension.

            The board then went back into approval mode. It endorsed the Site Plan Review modification request for Rochester Crossroads, 22 Cranberry Highway, wherein the applicant proposed replacing a paved rear-access way to County Road with a gravel road.

            The panel’s last meeting on the plan yielded discussion over whether to place a gate at the end of that road. On August 13, Johnson and the board approved the specifications on the kind of gate being approved for that road. It will be one that will open automatically to parties exiting the property and tied to the Fire Department’s fire-suppression system.

            The board also endorsed an Approval Not Required application filed by the Buzzards Bay Coalition for 84 New Bedford Road. Coalition representative Rick Charon explained a 35-acre parcel is being split into two lots. One lot will measure 7.5 acres to include a Form A lot with a greenhouse that will be up for sale, and the other will be a 27-acre field for agricultural purposes.

            In other action, the board continued until August 27 the Site Plan Review application for a self-storage facility off County Road that was filed by Highland Development Ventures and proposes four buildings, one of which would be multistory.

            The board signed the Mylar plans for the JPF Development self-storage facility on County Road and the BriggsBraims LLC hobby barn project on New Bedford Road.

            Johnson said the rectified battery-storage bylaw approved at the spring Town Meeting left out pieces of the new bylaw that should have been included. The board approved placing a new version of this bylaw that includes those missing pieces on the October 21 Special Town Meeting warrant.

            The board reviewed the Neck Road solar project’s screening from Snipatuit Pond. Board members said the screening is inadequate. The applicant’s representative said they are willing to do more but not erect a fence, as the property’s owner would not approve. Johnson concluded the board should schedule a site visit.

            The Rochester Planning Board’s next meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 27, at 7:00 pm at Town Hall, 1 Constitution Way.

Rochester Planning Board

By Michael J. DeCicco

From the Files of the Rochester Historical Society

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Part of our current exhibit is devoted to dolls, which are one of the oldest of playthings for children. Making the way through the exhibit, you can learn of the many roles that dolls have had in different times and different cultures. One of the dolls in our display has an interesting local story of its own.

            Lisa Gurney Walbridge told us about the small China doll which she has loaned to the museum. She was about to turn eight-years old when her grandmother, Annie Hartley Gurney, asked her what she would like for her birthday. Lisa asked for a China doll (a request that she acknowledges was not a typical one).

            After a moment of silence, her grandmother went upstairs and came back with a bundle wrapped in an old dishcloth. Inside was a small China doll in a crocheted outfit that reflected what a girl would have worn around 1910. Her grandmother gave her the doll for her birthday and she told Lisa that her mother, Lisa’s great grandmother, had given her this same doll for her eighth birthday.

            I remember Lisa’s grandmother as Aunt Annie who was named after her mother, Annie Louisa Snell Hartley. The elder Annie was the mother of 15 children with 13 of them surviving to adulthood. She can be seen in the picture in front of the doll. Needless to say, she was the actual grandmother of many and over the years, also became known as Grandma Hartley to generations of Rochester residents. She was my great-grandmother and also Lisa’s.

            Now back to Lisa’s doll. Her current dress as well as the teddy bear were handmade by Lisa, and she is in remarkably good condition for having been owned by two little girls.

            There are many more dolls and other items in the current exhibit that show how we’ve entertained ourselves in Rochester for over 300 years. The exhibit will be open to the public on Sept. 28 during our annual Cranberry Bake Sale. As always, we will arrange to open the museum by appointment.

            I want to thank Herb, Alton and Art for their help with last week’s article and Lisa for her help with this one. It has been said that it takes a village to raise a child and sometimes it seems, it takes one to preserve and share a town’s history.

By Connie Eshbach

Tri-Town Against Racism Monthly Virtual Discussions

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To connect with the community, Tri-Town Against Racism (TTAR) will be hosting a Virtual Coffee Hour every 4th Saturday of the month at 10 am. The next one happens on August 24.

            Here is what to expect: A brief overview of Tri-Town Against Racism and the purpose of the monthly conversations, open floor for community members to share pressing issues they are dealing with related to racism and discrimination, group discussion on possible solutions and support, open discussion on how to get involved with TTAR and any new ideas for volunteer initiatives.

            Registration is required and can be completed by visiting: www.tritownagainstracism.org/events

Clean Aquaculture Site to Be Shared

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Shellfish growers came before the Mattapoisett Select Board on August 13 with a plan that may help to ensure their harvests are safe and consistently available.

            Dale Leavitt, Bob Field, Mike Ward and Mat Loo asked to have their licenses amended in order to avail their product of a safe, clean space, given the number of closures they have experienced this season.

            Leavitt explained that buyers need supply consistency, which has been difficult with multiple closures. Leavitt holds 50 acres near West Island. He proposed keeping 5 acres for his own farm and lending 1 acre each to the other growers for their product in an area that may provide cleaner waters. This, he believed, would accomplish clean shellfish ready to market and consistency in the supply chain that buyers demand.

            Each farm’s documents will be amended to record the change in operator for the length of the agreement.

            Select Board members Tyler Macallister and Jori Bauer agreed wholeheartedly to the request with Macallister assuring the growers, “…whatever you need.”

            In other matters, the board approved the installation of “no parking” signs on Mattapoisett Neck Road near the intersection with the bike path. Macallister stated he still would like the area to be a tow zone but hopes that these signs would help to stem parking along the roadway.

            The board also met briefly with Robert Chiarito, executive director of ORCTV, for their annual check-in. Noting everything was going well, the board thanked Chiarito. ORCTV provides community programing and access that covers government, schools, community events and more.

            Town Administrator Mike Lorenco gave his update on a high note, saying construction of Old Slough Road has been completed. He reminded the public that this roadway may be used for walking and is not open to vehicles, except as declared by the Police Department during emergencies, primarily from storms.

            Continuing with more good news, Lorenco said that the generator at the Mattapoisett Housing Authority has been installed.

            Lorenco also gave a sneak peek at the town’s intention to seek a Coastal Zone Management grant in the amount of $3,000,000 for the repair of Molly’s Cove culvert.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Select Board was not announced upon adjournment.

Mattapoisett Select Board

By Marilou Newell

Purple Heart Recipients Honored

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            Much has been written about the “greatest generation that ever lived.” Somehow, however, it doesn’t feel like enough, especially for those of us whose family members returned home from war to become quietly ensconced in the day-to-day of living, simply living.

            Much has been written about other conflicts and war such as Vietnam, yet again not enough to cover the important roles these former enlisted men and women took on when their country called them into service.

            On August 10 at the Mattapoisett Free Public Library, there was standing room only when the town honored six Purple Heart recipients for the first time.

            The goal of finding and acknowledging these former service personnel had been one that Ray Hanks, chairman of the town’s Cemetery and Memorial Advisory Committee, brought with him when the committee was established about a year ago. Hanks had assisted a neighboring committee in a similar effort finding it challenging to locate Purple Heart Recipients.

            “There isn’t a database of names,” he demurred.

            But, through word of mouth and a bit of public relations, the committee did locate local heroes, inviting them and or their families and friends to the ceremony now planned to be an annual event.

            The recipients are: Barry A. Alves, Allen H. Bowman, Barry J. Denham, Roger E. Kelley, Edward D. Kinney Jr. and John R. Duff Sr.

            They served in places most had never known existed, far away ports of call or beaches, forests, jungles, rice paddies and, in a flash, each would sustain wounds.

            History tells us that the Purple Heart, known as the oldest military award, was first established on August 7, 1782, by George Washington. The program which accompanied the event notes, “Washington directed a figure of heart in purple cloth or silk, edged with narrow lace or binding. … Although the award fell out of use after the American Revolution, it reemerged just after the end of the First World War. In 1932, Douglas MacArthur, then the Army chief of staff, reestablished the award, renaming it the Purple Heart.”

            Recipients run the gamut, but primarily the Purple Heart is reserved for those who were wounded or killed in action. And time is eroding memories and the people who can tell the stories of these brave souls. Hanks invited the public to help the committee in finding more people to acknowledge.

            “We need your help,” he said.

            As for the six honorees named on this occasion, several are deceased and their Purple Heart Coins were given to surviving family members. Coins depicting the Purple Heart were pressed into either the recipients’ hands or that of a family member as Hanks repeated, “…on behalf of a grateful nation.”

            As solemn as such occasions can be, there were also smiles and handshakes, memories of those now deceased spoken again, keeping memories alive a bit longer.

            Some stories were shared, such as that of Denham, who returned home to continue serving his hometown as highway surveyor, businessman and Select Board member. Denham was also the Tri-Towns’ Veterans agent for a number of years, ensuring veterans were receiving all the services they deserve.

            To the current Veterans Agent Chris Gerrior, Denham recalled, “…there was an explosion, I was floating in the air, then I landed in a hole made by the improvised device.” Two fellow soldiers ended up in the crater on top of Barry.” Hurt and stunned, they all survived. After assisting in medevacking the soldiers, Denham received treatment for his wounds sustained in the Vietnam conflict.

            Hanks said that Alves has received his Purple Heart for saving several wounded comrades from which he was severely injured during the Vietnam conflict.

            Allen H. Bowman was killed in action on D-Day. Kelley was wounded during WWII’s Battle of the Bulge. Susan Akin recounted that her father laid close to death, unaided for a day before he was rescued.

            Kinney was remembered by life-long resident Dan White as a “down to earth person” from whom he learned many things over the years he was growing up in Mattapoisett village. Kinney was wounded in the Philippines.

            Duff came in as a last-minute addition to the celebration, having been sought out for the ceremony but not found. But his granddaughter Keri Duff heard the event was taking place and wanted to ensure that her grandfather, “a wonderful person,” was not overlooked. She was graciously received by the committee and held back tears as she recalled her loved one.

            If you have information about a Purple Heart recipient, contact Hanks through the Mattapoisett Select Board office at 508-758-4100, Extension 4.

By Marilou Newell

Mattapoisett Village Walking Tours

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The Mattapoisett Museum offers two more Mattapoisett Village Walking Tours this summer. Please join one or both to learn more about Mattapoisett’s history and memories.

            On Thursday, August 15, from 5 to 6 pm, starting at the Mattapoisett Museum, Carole Clifford and Jennifer McIntyre will lead the group. The tour transports visitors on a journey through Mattapoisett’s past from its heyday as a shipbuilding center, the rise of summer recreation and the impact specific citizens had on the development of the town. The tour will begin and end at the Mattapoisett Museum at 5 Church Street. The tour follows Main Street to Shipyard Park and returns via one of the side streets to the Museum. The duration is 45 minutes to 1 hour. This tour is sponsored by First Citizens Federal Credit Union and is free and open to the public.

            On Thursday, September 12, from 5 to 6 pm, join Mattapoisett Museum Curator, Connor Gaudet at the Munro Preserve at 1 Main St, to learn about the saltworks that lined Mattapoisett beaches. An early industry in Mattapoisett, the “Salt Works” produced vast quantities of salt from sea water. Gaudet will describe the process it took to create salt from seawater as the group explores the sites of former saltworks starting at the Munro Preserve at the corner of Water Street and Main.

Mattapoisett Yacht Club Racing Results

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August 6 & 7

            Tuesday Night Ensign Fleet – Black Ice won the night with two first place finishes over Odyssey, which finished second in both races. In third place was Brass Monkey with a third and fourth place finish. Placing fourth for the night was Bro Ha Ha followed by Uncle Fester.

            Wednesday Night PHRF – In Class A, No Quarter Given took the win over Restless (2nd), Coconuts (3) and Billy Bud (4).

            In Class B, Beck continued their win streak from the July series beating Chickadee (2) and Kinsail (3), followed by Lindisfarne, and Fir Na Tine.

            In other sailing news, don’t forget to support the Matt Sail program on August 16 at the Soiree at Reservation Golf Course. Tickets are still available. Help support the future sailors of the world.

Short Ride for New Town Administrator

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            Community ownership, boundless energy and proactive engagement in many aspects of municipal government were keys that separated Cameron Durant from the field, as the Rochester Select Board voted on Monday to offer the Town of Fairhaven Human Resources director its job as town administrator.

            “The guy from Fairhaven really impressed me,” said Select Board Chairman Brad Morse during the board’s deliberation that following successive interviews of the three finalists. “He’s not just an HR director over there, he’s been pushed into every single department to help … he seems like a quick learner.”

            The three finalists for the job, Durant, New Bedford City Councilor Joseph Lopes and former Millville Select Board member Andrew Alward, conducted final interviews with the board on Monday and were all considered viable candidates for the job, as noted by Morse upon the conclusion of the interviews.

            Select Board member Paul Ciaburri said he would like time to think about his selection.

            Member Adam Murphy said he would prefer the board discuss its impressions of the candidates so that if they had adjourned without a selection, each member would have a better sense of a pathway to a consensus.

            Calling each finalist “unique” and each with a strong point, Murphy said his focus was on “the best candidate and the best fit for the town of Rochester.”

            None of the three has been a town administrator, but Murphy was impressed with “how much in a short period of time that (Durant has) educated himself on process … being exposed to a lot of issues that (Fairhaven) has had to overcome …”

            Murphy continued to summarize his belief that Durant is the best fit for Rochester, at which point Ciaburri concurred and said, “I think even if I think about it, I think that’s where I’m going to land.”

            With that, Ciaburri motioned that the board authorize Morse to make a conditional offer to Durant as town administrator for the Town of Rochester, pending successful negotiations and other due process such as references and background checks. Murphy seconded the motion. Morse did not hesitate to agree.

            In the first (and longest) of the three finalists’ interviews, Durant boldly told the Select Board that the town’s recently redesigned website needs improvement.

            “You have everything on that website, but it’s hard to find,” he said, identifying Facebook as “that one tech tool that all generations are on. … The most successful Facebook page Fairhaven has is the link to the meeting videos.” Durant is confident he can help Rochester improve its community engagement via social media and the web.

            Another aspect of Durant’s appeal to the board was his engaging personality and eagerness to learn, something Murphy identified as crucial, especially given Suzanne Szyndlar’s plan to retire not only from her post as interim town administrator but at the end of June 2025, from her job as the town’s finance director.

            “Municipal government is my passion,” said Durant during his interview, noting it has been a personal hobby and is now a professional pursuit. He said becoming a town administrator has been his goal for over a decade.

            A member of Bishop Stang’s debate team in high school and now a father of young children, Durant said he started out as an operations manager at Amazon and Lyft. He traced his successes not to being technology or engineering inclined but because he can look at a system and determine “how we can make it better.”

            Having worked for the Town of Fairhaven in the Public Works department, a permitting position, before getting his human-resources certification, he doesn’t consider himself “the most innovative” but able to get “the buy-in.”

            Similarly, he is confident he can work to bring together not only Rochester’s town departments but community groups as well.

            In Fairhaven’s HR department, he said he negotiated with seven unions in collective bargaining and, working with the town’s self-funded insurance system, made strides providing quality benefits, tailoring the healthcare plan to cope with the leverages of Proposition 2½ and the town’s 2½% annual tax increase.

            “No one is happier in their current capacity in the town of Fairhaven … but when I saw this opportunity … larger stakes at the table, more responsibility … I couldn’t pass up,” he said.

            Asked about his philosophy for handling hard conversations and conflict-resolution, Durant said he has ongoing dialogue with employees and hard conversations are a regular part of the job.

            “People have choices and employees discipline themselves. Having those tough conversations are not that tough,” he said. “I’m not somebody who believes in punitive discipline; it’s about education. … are we supporting you in your field?”

            With a similarly widespread array of municipal experiences, Alward served on the Select Board in Millville, a rural town in the Blackstone Valley with a population of 3,265 (2018) and measuring five square miles.

            He once ordered Millville’s streetlights to be shut off so the town could meet its budget, relenting upon public protest and turning them back on.

            “Andrew … very knowledgeable from a small town,” said Morse. “He faced all the issues that we’ve faced. I think he could do a great job too.”

            Lopes, 50, answered every theoretical question the Select Board threw at him with examples of what he has accomplished while facing applicable situations in his job as city councilor. However relentless in his demonstration of relevant experiences, he could not match the impression that the two younger candidates made on the board with their experiences in small-town politics.

            Durant’s energetic, personable approach remained evident throughout his interview. He expanded further in his answers and gave the board a strong indication that he is eager to learn from Szyndlar.

            “I got the feeling that the town will respond to his personality,” said Murphy of Durant. “Between HR and finances, those are the two jobs that the candidate needs to be good. I just thought he was a good fit.”

            The job became open in March when Glenn Cannon took a job serving the Town of Carver in the same capacity.

Rochester Select Board

By Mick Colageo

Mattapoisett Republican Town Committee Meeting

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The Mattapoisett Republican Party invites everyone interested to join us on Thursday, August 15 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the Knights of Columbus, 57 Fairhaven Road, Mattapoisett. This is a unique opportunity to meet and greet both republican candidates seeking the position of MA State Representative for the 10th Bristol District. Please join us and get to know your candidates. This meeting is for all residents in the 10th Bristol District which includes Mattapoisett, Marion, Rochester, Fairhaven, Acushnet and parts of north end of New Bedford

            Speakers begin at 7:00 pm. Each speaker will allow time for questions. There will be light snacks, cash bar and good conversation.

            If you have any questions, contact Paul Criscuolo, Chairperson, Mattapoisett Republican Town Committee at PCMattyGOP@proton.me.

From Jazz to Rock: America’s Popular Music

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On Friday, August 16, the Marion Concert Band continues its Friday evening concert series with a program of American popular music. The program features a horn quartet and a variety of popular music styles from the 1890s to the present, is as follows:

Washington Post March – J.P. Sousa

Second American Folk Rhapsody – C. Grundman

Haunting Horns – B. Hardin

New York: 1927 – W. Barker

The Symphonic Gershwin – G. Gershwin

Sinatra. – arr. S. Bulla

Crooner’s Serenade – arr. J. Williams

Pop and Rock Legends: The Beatles – arr. M. Sweeney

Pop and Rock Legends: The Association – arr. T. Ricketts

Stevie Wonder in Concert – arr. P. Murtha

The Best of Miami Sound Machine – arr. P. Murtha

Blues Brothers Revue – arr. J. Bocook

Thundercrest March – E. Osterling

            The concert will be held at the Robert Broomhead Bandstand, Island Wharf off Front Street in Marion. The program, under the direction of Tobias Monte, will begin at 7:00. All concerts are free and open to the public. “Like” us on Facebook at “Marion Town Band” for up-to-date announcements and rain cancellation notices.