Of all the colors in the garden, purple may be the most majestic — and historically, the most powerful.             The color’s association with royalty and power dates back thousands of years to ancient Rome, Egypt and Persia, where purple was reserved for emperors, kings and the elite. Purple dyes were extraordinarily rare and […] Read more »

            An American ship carrying 38 men and 16 cannons faced a British privateer with 130 men and 43 guns off the coast of Spain in June 1780.             Captain Jonathan Haraden could have fled. Instead, he ordered his crew aboard the General Pickering to stand firm and fight.             Author Eric Jay Dolin used the […] Read more »

            On a sunny, cool Saturday morning at Hammond Cemetery in Mattapoisett, Dr. Barbara Shurtleff told more than 100 attendees that when she looks at the graves of her Hammond ancestors, “I don’t just see history, but family.”             Shurtleff is a descendant of one of the 20 Revolutionary War patriots honored at the September […] Read more »

            The Rochester Rainbow Coalition hosted a Community Education Presentation, “Understanding SOGIE (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression),” at the Council on Aging Senior Center on Monday.             To a room packed with attendees, the South Coast LGBTQ+ Network’s executive director Andy Pollock, along with a local pediatrician and a mental health expert, talked through […] Read more »

            The game of Mahjong, which originated in China, is trending in the Tri-Town, as folks have found it a great way to exercise their brains and have fun. Interest in Mahjong is growing partly because the American version (“Mah Jongg”) is easier to learn and more people are playing the game on social media. […] Read more »

            This week in Revolutionary War history, let’s check in on what was going on 250 years ago in the early United States. Last week, Patriots held a field test for the world’s first attack submarine, the Turtle, all while the continuing presence of American troops in New York seemed more and more unmanageable. General […] Read more »

Ah, fall. Children go back to school, leaves turn color and it is time to think about your immunization against winter viruses.             What, if any shots should you get?             Influenza is not “just a bad cold.” Influenza lays you out with hacking cough, fever and muscle aches. While it rarely kills healthy young […] Read more »

            It happens in increments: the little browning tips of the iris leaves, a confetti of seven-sons blossoms scattered across the patio, the nondescript leaves beginning to obscure the garden path. Add to that the chirp of crickets and the heady aroma of grapes draping the balcony — hopefully going unnoticed by the pesky raccoons […] Read more »

            On Saturday, September 5, in the Tri-Town, a small, determined group set out to do a good deed. With smiles and tools in hand, they spent the day installing a metal ramp at a home for a neighbor with mobility issues who needed better access.             The group is part of the Mattapoisett Lions […] Read more »

            The Rochester Police and Fire Departments held the third annual 9/11 ceremony and commemorated the addition of a 9/11 Memorial to the Rochester Firefighter Memorial on Friday, September 11, marking the 25th anniversary.              “It’s hard to believe 25 years have passed” was a common utterance among the crowd. Most remembered where they were […] Read more »