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 »

            This week in Revolutionary War history, let’s check up on what was going on 250 years ago in the early United States. Last week, 9,000 Continental troops flooded back into Manhattan following their defeat in Brooklyn, as General Washington and his officers scrambled to come up with a plan. Remaining supplies were checked as […] Read more »

            Flowers breed contentment. Spread them around.             Adorn your indoor habitat with cut flowers throughout the growing season. All you need is a handful of blooms, a vase and perhaps a little imagination.             For those who grew up with bouquet-makers, carrying on the tradition comes naturally. Even as a youngster, I remember the […] Read more »

            This is the continuing monthly column for the astronomer in all of us, or the aspiringastrophysicist. Compared to areas near Boston or New Bedford, generally speaking, the Tri-Town has pretty good dark skies and thus is very fortunate in that regard.             The regulars are all visible this month: Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. […] Read more »

            The Elizabeth Taber Library Board of Trustees named Kayla King as the library’s executive director.             King previously worked at the Fall River Public Library, where she served as assistant library administrator and held roles of increasing responsibility supporting library operations, public services, programming and community engagement. She earned her Master of Library and […] Read more »

            For generations, Mattapoisett thought it knew who carved the wooden swordfish weathervane that became one of the town’s best-known symbols.             A century-old letter found inside the historic fish tells a different story.             The letter identifies the carver not as Manuel R. Perry Jr., the Mattapoisett craftsman long credited with making it, but […] Read more »

Elvis has left the building. The Rochester Council on Aging (COA) building, that is.             The Rochester COA’s outdoor free summer concert series ended on a high note, thanks to a legendary performance by Robert Black and the Elvis Express Band on Friday, August 28.             More than 400 people showed up on that hot […] Read more »

Every vegetable gardener envisions the perfect tomato, but how many have actually realized their dream this year?             Our tomato crop has been somewhat disappointing. It’s not that we don’t have any; it’s just that their usual largesse never quite materialized. And while the weather would seem to have been perfect for these heat-loving plants, […] Read more »

This week in Revolutionary War history, let’s check up on what was going on 250 years ago in the early United States. Last week, the Battle of Long Island took place at Brooklyn Heights, where superior British strategy paired with highly effective tactics led to a devastating defeat and retreat for the Continental Army. As […] Read more »

There was a time when people would write letters. Not so much anymore. Today they might send an email or a text message, but a nice handwritten letter, possibly written with a fountain pen and in cursive, is passé. (It is probably a good thing since my handwriting has seriously deteriorated. If I do say […] Read more »