The 4th Annual Fair Way Golf Tournament put on by The Church of the Good Shepherd will be held on Saturday, October 5at Little Harbor Country Club. Shotgun start at 8:30 am. $80 per golfer/$320 a team. All proceeds benefit homeless, hunger, substance abuse programs, and other outreach ministries in Wareham and beyond. For more information or RSVP call Natecia at 774-260-1924 or email natecia17@gmail.com
The Women of Lockerbie, written by Deborah Brevoort and directed by Jennifer Palmer, opens on the MAC stage on October 18:
The Year is 1995. A mother from New Jersey roams the hills of Lockerbie Scotland, looking for her son’s remains that were lost in the crash of Pan Am 103. She meets the women of Lockerbie who are fighting the U.S. government to obtain the clothing of the victims found in the plane’s wreckage. The women, determined to convert an act of hatred into an act of love, want to wash the clothes of the dead and return them to the victim’s families. The Women of Lockerbie is a poetic drama about the triumph of love over hate
Show dates are Friday, October 18– Sunday, October 20and Thursday, October 24– Sunday, October 27. Thursday, Friday, Saturday performances begin at 7:30 pm, while Sunday matinees are scheduled at 2:00 pm. The cast features Kate Fishman, Jessica Harris, Susan Massey, Frank Mitchell, Linda Monchik, Margo Ruggiero, and Jacob Sherburne. Tickets will go on sale to MAC members ($18) on Friday, September 27 and to non-members ($20) on Friday, October 4.
Elsie Lee (McCarthy) Marvin, 92, of Mattapoisett died peacefully on September 21, 2019 at Kesslerwood Place Assisted Living Community in Indianapolis.
She was the wife of the late Donald K. Marvin.
Born in New Bedford, the daughter of the late Joseph L. and Mary A. (Murphy) McCarthy, she was raised in Fairhaven before moving to Mattapoisett in 1958. Mrs. Marvin received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Regis College and a Master of Arts degree from Wellesley College. Mrs. Marvin was formerly employed as a teacher at Fairhaven High School and Dartmouth High School before retiring from Bristol Community College. She enjoyed traveling and spending time with family and friends.
Survivors include her two sons, Thomas Marvin and his wife Marta of Indianapolis, IN and John Marvin and his wife Emilie of Chuluota, FL; six grandchildren, James, Steven, Tess, Elizabeth, David and Andrea; and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was the sister of the late Betty Pendergast and Robert McCarthy.
Her Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, September 28th at 10 AM in St. Anthony’s Church, Mattapoisett. Burial will follow in Cushing Cemetery. Visiting hours are omitted. Arrangements are with the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home For Funerals, 50 County Rd. (Rt. 6) Mattapoisett. For online guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.
As many wait patiently for the big screen return of the much beloved series Downton Abbey, the Sippican Woman’s Club enjoyed a walk down Masterpiece memory lane during their September 13 monthly meeting. The guest speaker would take the group on a virtual trip to the stately home by way of her deep appreciation for period clothing and interest in all things vintage.
On the theme of fashion as seen in the TV series and soon in movie theaters, Karen Antonwicz is an expert. She earned her master’s degree in textiles and fashion merchandizing with a concentration in historic clothing from the University of Rhode Island. She has also owned a vintage clothing store, taught in various college settings, and has given innumerable lectures on the subject of period clothing.
But nothing seems to strike her fancy more than when she has the opportunity to talk about fashion as it relates to that grand show aired on PBS, Downton Abbey. In the five seasons the drama aired on TV, Antonwicz found all the things she loves the most – vintage clothing, antique furnishings, and, oh yes, juicy drama.
Antonwicz’s presentation did feature a discussion about women’s clothing from the late 1800’s through WWI, but she also led the audience romping through those five seasons the Crawley family graced TV screens using video clips. Club members were guided from one glorious room to the next and through every outrageous event to the next when, all the while, the ladies of the estate never had a hair out of place.
Antonwicz explained how the evil corset scaffolded those fashions popularized by the unnatural but highly regarded look of the Gibson girls. The female figure was idealized the most when the waist was cinched by tightly held bone stays, which also had the effect of making the bosom tilt forward into a “mono-bosom” while pushing back the rear-end. In profile, the women resembled the letter “S”.
Over time, fashions turned away from the impossible layers of the Edwardian and Victorian styles. Waistlines, like the empire waist, became more fluid like the dropped waist. Hemlines rose from sweeping the floors to the tops of shoes to just below the knee. And while heavy clothing faded out, fabrics, colors, and design options increased.
But before we completely leave behind those complicated articles of clothing, it’s interesting to note that because getting dressed was so difficult, the well-heeled lady of privilege needed a maid to help her dress. First, there were the drawers and chemise worn against the body, followed by the corset. Over this went the corset cover, and then the dress itself. “Corsets and dresses were never laundered,” said Antonwicz, “but underclothing was.”
One can only imagine what a bathroom call must have required.
Downton Abbey’s cast of characters donned fabulous articles of clothing that left viewers in awe. As Antonwicz pointed out in the stills and video clips from the show, the younger women were the first to embrace the changing designs. It is later in the series that we find the Dowager dispensing with her bird-plumaged hats for more sedate choices – much later.
Antonwicz is not only thoroughly versed in fashion and all its trends, she is a natural entertainer, making her material and subject matter less like a presentation and more like a show in itself. In spite of struggling with modern technology that several times failed to cooperate that afternoon, Antonwicz’s good humor and promise that the upcoming video clip “will be worth the wait” averted any awkwardness. The audience was willing to wait for the next slice of Downton Abbey to be served before their eyes to once again be transported by motorcar to an imagined castle wearing silk velvet and silver beads as the butler greeted us at the door saying, “Good afternoon, my Lady.” Oh, Carson, how we’ve missed you…
For more information about Antonwicz’s presentations, visit www.spiritsoffashion.net. The Sippican Woman’s Club meets monthly every second Friday. For more information go to www.SippicanWomansClub.org, or call Jeannie Lake at 508-748-0619.
By Marilou Newell
To the Editor:
In March of 1819 Congress appropriated money to establish a lighthouse on Bird Island. On Saturday, September 14, 2019 the Marion Harbormaster’s Department hosted at the Music Hall a Bicentennial Celebration of the Bird Island Light and Signal.
It was a grand event and all responsible should be congratulated for a job well done. The food was great and plentiful. A slideshow of Bird Island played all during the event.
Charles Bradley gave an historical outline of the rejuvenation of the lighthouse. Next, he introduced his brother, Eddie Bradley, who told the incredible story of finding a 1913 painting by Clarence Braley titled Bird Island Light and Signal. He purchased it in 2017.
For some time, the brothers debated where to donate the painting. The decision came down to the Sippican Historical Society as most appropriate. This incredible gift was gratefully received by Sippican Historical Society curator and will be placed on display in the museum for all to enjoy.
Pete Smith, Curator, Sippican Historical Society
Mattapoisett’s Pedestrian Bike Committee is inviting all town residents, and most especially those residing in the neighborhood north of Route 195 on North and adjoining streets, to an informal meeting on Thursday October 3at 6:30 pm in the cafeteria at Center School. The committee wants to hear directly from residents prior to completing a prioritized plan under the “Complete Streets” program for state funded improvements.
Both this meeting, as well as future meetings focused on other neighborhoods are critical in assisting this committee plan for healthful, safe, neighborhood-based walking and cycling opportunities.
Many concerns have already been brought to the committee’s attention from residents of this “North Street North” neighborhood about unsafe walking and riding options in this area. Resident involvement and approval of any proposed changes is being actively solicited and desirable before any changes are planned.
Mattapoisett’s tree canopy is one of its most precious resources, enhancing the town’s beauty and charm and helping to define its character as much as its seaside location. According to the Arbor Day Foundation, trees “offer cooling shade, block cold winter winds, attract birds and wildlife, purify our air, prevent soil erosion, clean our water…” In addition, the trees around us serve an increasingly vital purpose of helping to slow climate change by absorbing carbon from the atmosphere, storing it in trees and soil, and releasing oxygen into the atmosphere.
On a more personal level, just a few deciduous trees planted on the south and west sides of your home can reduce your energy use by up to 30%, and trees shading air conditioners can reduce electricity use by 10% compared to units in the sun, says the U.S. Department of Energy.
Recently, the Town Tree Planting Committee has enhanced two of the Town’s key programs to encourage residents to participate in adding to Mattapoisett’s stock of trees: street tree planting and memorial trees.
Mattapoisett’s street tree planting program has been constrained somewhat by the presence of utilities, sidewalks, and other public features limiting the number of potential planting sites on town land. Recently, however, the Town of Mattapoisett and the Mattapoisett Tree Planting Committee have adopted a new program aimed at expanding opportunities for residents to help increase the Town’s tree cover. The Street Tree Setback Planting Program allows the Tree Warden to plant trees within 20 feet of the road. The new program enables residents to enjoy Town trees, at no cost to the homeowner, within the area of their property, if they so choose.
For the first three years, the Town will own and maintain the tree(s). Participating homeowners will sign an agreement with the Town, allowing the Tree Warden to plant on their properties and agreeing to be responsible for the care of the tree(s) after the three-year period is up.
Mattapoisett’s memorial tree program, familiar to residents as long-lasting way to honor a loved one’s memory or mark a special occasion, will now include Ned’s Point as a location for planting. The Tree Committee’s guidelines will be modified slightly to ensure that plantings at Ned’s Point will be part of the Ned’s Point Planting Plan recently designed. Residents wishing to contribute a memorial tree will “buy into” the plan by paying for the purchase of a tree whose species and location at Ned’s Point have already been designated as part of the plan for gradually replacing trees at the Point. Because of the nature of the location, memorial trees here will not have plaques.
For more information, or to express interest any of the Town’s tree planting programs, please contact our Town Tree Warden Roland Cote at (508) 989-2017 or email the Tree Committee at mattapoisetttreecom@gmail.com.
Ethel E. Pedersen (Andrews), longtime resident of Mattapoisett, MA, passed away in Warren, RI on September 20, 2019 at the age of 98. She was the beloved wife of the late Theodore Pedersen for almost 76 years.
Ethel was born in New Bedford to the late Ethel Andrews and NB Fire Chief Milton Andrews. She was the mother of three children; the late Theodore C. Pedersen Jr., Barbara Allen (Pedersen), and Jonathan Pedersen. She was “Mom” to Janice and Paul Mandeville. In addition, she is lovingly remembered by her six grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her brother, Raymond Andrews, and her sister, Barbara Seefeld (Andrews), with whom she shared her (sometimes adventurous) early years.
A graduate of NBHS class of 1939, she enjoyed her role as co-chair of the reunion committee and organized get-togethers until 2009’s 70th class reunion. Having worked at several local banks, her career ended with her retirement from Fairhaven Savings Bank where she was the Personnel Manager.
She loved her husband and their family. She enjoyed their sailboat in Mattapoisett Harbor, reading novels and the newspaper, and spending winters in Boca Raton, Florida.
A graveside service for family and friends will be held on Wednesday, September 25, 2019 at 9am in the Pine Grove Cemetery, New Bedford.
To light a memorial candle, sign the online guestbook or for cemetery directions please visit www.hathawayfunerals.com
In 1969 when the Rochester Historical Society was born, the town’s population was
1,965. Gas was 35 cents a gallon around here, and the value of the average house in town was $28,000. As of 2018, the population is 5,698. Gas is about $2.75 a gallon, and the average Rochester home is valued at $375,000.
Rochester, to say the least, has certainly changed these past 50 years. But one thing that hasn’t changed is the now 50-year-old tradition of preserving as much of the history of Rochester as possible, something Rochester was ready to celebrate on September 14 during a party at the COA.
After a luncheon and, of course, a big piece of cake, the roomful of Rochesterites – some current, some prior, but always a ‘townie’ at heart – enjoyed a stroll down memory lane, led by a string of guest speakers well versed in the history of Rochester. Some shared stories discovered during past RHS meetings when members hosted “memory nights” and nights of “show and tell,” like the story Connie Eshbach told about the dances behind Dewey Park that went on “until boys from another town came to destroy the dance pavilion” after, she quoted, “a battle of baseball bats.”
There was the vacant haunted house on Bowen’s Lane that residents were convinced was haunted by ghosts of white that passed behind the windows but ultimately ended up being sheep stranded inside.
There were stories about how Rochester was void of electricity until the 1940s, RHS fundraisers gone awry, and the quirky gifts students have given Jackie Demers, Rochester’s very first kindergarten teacher, who taught for 45 years at Rochester Memorial School. Demers, originally from New Bedford but now an appointed honorary “townie”, has tons of stories.
“Where else but Rochester would you have a cow come to school and walk across the hall into the courtyard?” asked Demers. “Only in Rochester, and I was a city girl so I sure wasn’t used to that, but the kids loved it.”
Demers continued, “God blessed me when he led me to Rochester… It’s been a great time for me and I thank all of you for your many, many kindnesses.”
The times have certainly changed since the very first members started the RHS, including the Society’s first-ever treasurer, Barbara King Besse, who was present at the party.
“What started [the Rochester Historical Society] was curiosity,” said Eshbach. “Because they were curious about the houses they lived in and the neighborhoods they lived in. I think that… some people think of history as dry as dust; but, really, it’s for people who are curious about things.”
And if one is curious enough to visit the RHS museum located at the East Rochester Church on County Road and rifle through the ton of books, documents, genealogy searches, and other relics, as Eshbach put it, “You get answers to questions you maybe didn’t know you had.”
Mack Phinney, president of the RHS, had a message for the generation after his: “It’s up to you to pass it on to the younger folks to rediscover and share the history of Rochester.”
By Jean Perry
The Marion Conservation Commission on September 11 approved the Kittansett Club’s request to make some upgrades to its Pro Shop and some of the golf cart paths near the shore.
On behalf of the Club, Susan Nilson described the proposal that includes the construction of an ADA compliant ramp to the entrance of the Pro Shop and the addition of a porch within the 100-foot buffer zone of the coastal bank and within the flood zone.
Nilson also briefly described some rerouting of the gravel golf cart paths around that area, and the older paths will be replaced with grass.
The project, Nilson said, would allow for more ‘greenscape’ near the Pro Shop.
The commission attended a site visit the prior Saturday and found no issues; however, commission member Shaun Walsh expressed his concern that no erosion control measures were marked on the plan, and he also questioned whether the grass replacement would include sod or seed.
Walsh included a special condition for erosion control in an area near the shore in his motion for an approved Order of Conditions, but he omitted some of the standard conditions he found irrelevant.
“Our standard conditions are sort of overkill for this,” Walsh said.
The special condition to install erosion control near an existing cart barn will be enforced until the grass planting is fully stabilized.
Nilson stated that the Club had hoped to begin construction this fall, but may have to wait until the spring.
In other matters, the commission continued the public hearing for its own Notice of Intent to perform invasive species control at Sprague’s Cove until it receives notice from the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program, a step the commission had overlooked in the process. According to Chairman Jeff Doubrava, that response will take at least 30 days.
The commission had planned to begin the work this fall during the time when invasive species control is ideal, but conceded that it will have to wait until the spring to begin.
The hearing was continued until October 23.
The NOI public hearing for Kathleen Welch, 82 West Avenue, was continued until September 25 at the request of the applicant. The proposal is to restore approximately 844 square feet of an area already altered within the 100-foot coastal dune buffer zone. The plan is for vegetation management to remove invasive species within and near the dune. Welch also proposes to install a kayak rack, raised planting bed, 4-foot high picket fence, and a 12’x12’ paved patio and walkway in addition to some landscaping with native species plantings.
The next meeting of the Marion Conservation Commission is scheduled for September 25 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Town House.
Marion Conservation Commission
By Jean Perry