Paula L. (Wood) Clement

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Paula L. (Wood) Clement, 60, of Milford passed away Sunday, August 4, 2019 in her home with her family by her side, after a five-and-a-half-year long battle with brain cancer.

            Above all, Paula had a tremendous heart and giving nature. She is remembered by all her friends and family as someone with an immense capacity for love. She was a dear friend to many, a beloved mother to her two children, and adored by her two granddaughters. Paula was always quick to laugh, give a hug if you needed one, cheer you on when you needed support, and lift you up when you were down. She loved spending time with her friends and family.

            Paula was born on a military base on January 20, 1959 in Tachikawa, Japan, the daughter of Mildred and the late Paul Wood. Part of a military family, she lived throughout the United States as well as in Canada and Japan throughout her childhood, moving frequently before starting middle school in Mattapoisett, Massachusetts where her family settled for decades. She moved to Milford in 1982 and has called the town home ever since.

            She had many interests and talents. Paula was a skilled seamstress and crafter who designed and sewed clothes, bags, dolls and other accessories. She had a talent for sketching. She loved to read and listen to music. Paula took a keen interest in physical fitness and spent several years as a licensed personal trainer. She worked selling imported teas, high-end shoes and eventually landed at J. Crew where she worked as a personal stylist in the men’s department.

            Paula had an eye for color and style. Her bright and skillfully coordinated outfits were a hit wherever she went, but particularly with her team at Dana Farber where she lit up the room with her stylish outfits and her bright blue eyes and infectious smile — even through the toughest moments of her battle.

            She loved the beach and the ocean and found herself there any chance she could get. A nature lover, she enjoyed walking, biking and hiking and any excuse she could find to be in the sunshine.

            In addition to her mother, Mildred, she is survived by her daughter; Candace Clement, her husband Seth and their daughter Sophie; her son, Joshua Clement, his wife Amanda and their daughter, Aria; her sister, Pamela Fleming and her husband Ed and her children Sam, Matthew and Ryan; her brother, Dean Wood; and her nephew Logan Wood. She was predeceased by her brother Stan Wood and her father Paul Wood.

            A private celebration of Paula’s life will be held in September. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Brain Cancer research at Dana Farber at PO Box 949169, Boston, MA or online at danafarber.org/give.            To send flowers to the family of Paula L. Clement, please visit Tribute Store.

Tri-Town EEE Threat Raised to Critical

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            The first human case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis in the area has been confirmed, raising the Rochester and Marion EEE risk level to “critical”.

            State and local health officials announced the risk increase on August 10 after a resident identified only as someone living in southern Plymouth County had contracted the mosquito-born virus.

            Some local media sources had further identified the unidentified person via posts to social media, including one from a family member; however, The Wanderer, out of respect for the patient’s privacy, will only further specify that the person lived in the Tri-Town.

            As of press time Tuesday night, 232 mosquito samples have tested positive for the EEE virus, up from 186 this time last week.

            In addition to Marion and Rochester, seven other cities and towns are now considered at critical risk for EEE, with Mattapoisett and neighboring Fairhaven remaining within the “high” risk category.

            After initial ground spraying by truck last week, the state initiated aerial spraying as the first human EEE case was confirmed. Although weather hindered part of the aerial spraying operation over the weekend causing confusion as residents sought to take precautions such as closing windows and turning off air conditioners at night, the state did manage to complete the entire scheduled area Sunday night.

            The critical risk level has prompted Marion and Rochester officials to close all town properties, parks, and ball fields at 6:00 pm, which resulted in the cancelation of all Thursday and Friday of the Rochester Country Fair this past week and limited the Saturday and Sunday events to 9:00 am – 6:00 pm.

            The Town of Marion has now canceled the annual Town Party that was scheduled for the evening of August 24.

            Tri-Town boards of health and health agents are urging residents to remain vigilant in their prevention of mosquito bites and to continue to use mosquito repellant and wearing long sleeves and long pants when venturing outdoors.

            Although EEE is a relatively rare disease, it is a serious one and sometimes deadly. About 33 percent of EEE infected people die, while some survivors suffer from ongoing long-term neurological effects. There are some who may contract the virus but remain asymptomatic, while those most at risk of the more serious effects of EEE are under the age of 15 or over 50.

            Symptoms such as chills, malaise, fever, muscle pain, and joint pain can start between four and 10 days after a bite from an infected mosquito and can last one to two weeks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes the signs and symptoms in encephalitic patients as fever, headache, irritability, restlessness, drowsiness, anorexia, vomiting, diarrhea, cyanosis, convulsions, and coma.

            There is no vaccine to protect against the EEE virus.

By Jean Perry

John Nicolaci Memorial Float Fly

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The John Nicolaci Memorial Float Fly will be held at Mary’s Pond, Rochester, on August 17from 9:00 am to early afternoon. The event is for Radio Control Model Seaplanes and Flying Boats. Hosted by the Bristol County Radio Control Club. Spectators Welcome. Pilots must be AMA members. This is an Academy of Model Aeronautics sanctioned event. Entrance is opposite 507 Mary’s Pond Road.

Sippican Historical Society

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In 1998, the Sippican Historical Society commissioned an architectural survey of Marion’s historic homes and buildings. The survey was funded one-half by the Sippican Historical Society and one-half by the Massachusetts Historical Commission. Due to the limits of funding, not all of the historic buildings were surveyed, but over 100 were catalogued and photographed. The results of the survey are in digital form on the Massachusetts Historical Commission’s website and in four binders in the Sippican Historical Society’s office (and at the Marion Town Clerk’s office).

            Marion (Old Rochester) is one of the oldest towns in the United States, and the Sippican Historical Society maintains an extensive collection of documentation on its historic buildings. The Sippican Historical Society will preview one building a week so that the residents of Marion can understand more about its unique historical architecture.

            This installment features 3 Main Street. The late Georgian-style residence at 3 Main Street occupies the site of the 1760 J.C. Luce House. Conveniently located near Long Wharf, this 1806 building originally contained A.J. Hadley’s Store where ships were outfitted for voyages in the eastern half of the first story. The western side housed the first post office in Marion. Clothing was made on the second floor, and sails were made on the third floor in the early 19th century. By 1855, this house was owned by Sumner Ryder, who served as the Town Clerk (1856-1858) and later joined the Union Army during the Civil War. By 1879, this house was owned by J. Abbott, and during the early 20th century by Miss Sarah W. Harwood.

Restore ORR Project

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To the Editor:

            The Restore ORR Project would greatly benefit students at the school by creating safer playing fields, improving the auditorium, and giving a revenue-generating opportunity to the town.  The main field, currently, is unsafe for students. The grass is patchy and there are holes and rocks covering the field, causing a hazard for those students playing a sport. As a result of the safety hazard, the main field would be redone as astroturf and the torn-up track would be resurfaced. An astroturf field would presumably cause less twisted ankles. The track improvement would create better running conditions for ORR’s award-winning track and cross country teams. The Restore ORR project would also aid the performing art programs, as well as community groups that meet in the auditorium. The project would involve repairing the lighting fixtures for the stage. Drama performances, band shows, town meetings, as well as local dance groups use the auditorium and would benefit from updated lighting. 

            Not only will the Restore ORR project improve safety, but it will raise money for the town through rental fees. With a turf field, ORR could rent out the field to local sports groups. Due to the lack of rentable field and auditorium space, the demand in our area is high.  The community would benefit from improvements such as safer playing fields, a better auditorium, and opportunities to boost funds for ORR and the town. There is a need for an enhancement of ORR’s facilities, and while the towns voted down the project, the need will only continue to grow larger.    The Tri-Town citizens must find a permanent solution to fix the facilities problems at Old Rochester Regional.

            Sincerely,

Julia Rood

            The views expressed in the “Letters to the Editor” column are not necessarily those of The Wanderer, its staff or advertisers. The Wandererwill gladly accept any and all correspondence relating to timely and pertinent issues in the great Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester area, provided they include the author’s name, address and phone number for verification. We cannot publish anonymous, unsigned or unconfirmed submissions. The Wandererreserves the right to edit, condense and otherwise alter submissions for purposes of clarity and/or spacing considerations. The Wanderermay choose to not run letters that thank businesses, and The Wandererhas the right to edit letters to omit business names. The Wandereralso reserves the right to deny publication of any submitted correspondence.

RCF Short, But Still Sweet

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            As if the threat of the Triple E virus wasn’t enough to put a damper on the last weeks of summer, the Rochester Country Fair (RCF) was cut short this year due to the “high” and then later deemed “critical” risk of the mosquito-borne virus, forcing the RCF board of directors to cancel the activities it worked so long and hard to plan for Thursday and Friday.

            Nonetheless, the spirit of the Rochester Country Fair was preserved on Saturday and Sunday with two full days of tractor races and pulls, live music, vendors, kids’ activities, and, of course, fried fair food galore.

            It wasn’t an easy decision to make, cutting back on the few precious days of the country fair that make Rochester its Rochesteriest of the year, and it was with “heavy hearts” that the RCF board of directors canceled the two days to condense as much of the country fair as possible within the daylight hours of the weekend. It was, of course, all done for the safety of the diehard country-fairgoers who would likely have risked it all just to enjoy an ice cold one to the sound of live music competing with the revving engines of the tractor pulls and the sweet scent of diesel smoke on a warm summer night.

            The Wanderer was unable to reach Rochester Country Fair organizer Kelly Morgado after the fair by press time, but we did catch up to her on Sunday at the fair.

            Morgado was posted at the entrance to the fairgrounds catching the attention of those arriving and hoping many of them will offer a donation of any amount in lieu of the free entrance this year.

            No doubt the impact of this year’s lower turnout and free entrance to the fair will affect next year’s country fair, she said, but given the circumstances, she conceded, “It is what it is.”

By Jean Perry

Town Hopes Trash Collection Picks Up the Pace

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Marion Selectman John Waterman is looking forward to the day when he can finally go about his business in the center of Marion without somebody coming up to him complaining about trash pickup.

            On August 7, the Marion Board of Selectmen discussed the tough transition the town has experienced since it swapped its municipal run curbside collection for a contract with a private trash collector, Waste Management.

            Waste Management took over Marion’s trash and recycling routes on August 1, but the service has been inconsistent. Entire routes were not being fully completed according to the established schedule, which has resulted in confusion and frustration for residents left wondering when their bins will be emptied.

            After months of interrupted curbside collection and recurring mechanical problems with the town owned trash truck, the board was hopeful that the town’s trash woes would end when Waste Management took over. Instead, as Waterman put it, “Trash still seems to be a mess.”

            Waterman kicked off the conversation, saying, “I walk around town … and everyone has their trash cans and recycling sitting out almost every day because they haven’t a clue when it’s going to be picked up.”

            Town Administrator Jay McGrail said the new service was experiencing some “growing pains,” and he has been in contact with Waste Management on a near daily basis.

            “What’s happening is they’re not finishing routes,” explained McGrail. For example, he said, Waste Management has had to finish the regular Monday route on Tuesday, only completing about half of the regular route in one day. “[Waste Management] underestimated the amount of material that they’re collecting.”

            August is one of the busiest seasons for solid waste disposal in Marion, said McGrail, and Waste Management is having difficulty keeping up with the demand.

            According to McGrail, the truck has been filling up faster at points throughout the route, forcing the truck to abandon the route to unload and then return to resume trash collection.

            “Somehow we need to get back to a regular schedule,” said McGrail, “even if we change it to a day and a half…”

            Although communication between Town Hall and Waste Management has been consistent, McGrail said, Waterman was concerned that communication to the public is lacking.

            “People are confused,” said Waterman. “There needs to be some communication to the public so they know when to put [trash] out rather than just leaving it out.”

            Some residents, unsure of when their trash would be picked up, have resorted to leaving their bins out on the curb “all week,” Waterman said.

            McGrail admitted he was unsure about what the town could do to mitigate the “chaos” short-term as Waste Management works out the details.

            “It’s total confusion now,” said Waterman.

            Chairman Randy Parker said he would prefer to see Waste Management split up the routes into a day-and-a-half schedule if needed rather than leave routes incomplete at the end of their scheduled days.

            McGrail said he is confident Waste Management will eventually find the pace it needs to complete the routes on time.

            “They just needed a little bit of time and patience,” said McGrail. “They’re honestly trying. It’s not for lack of effort.”

            Meanwhile, the town’s trash truck has been up and running and assisting Waste Management on some routes, supplementing missed stops as needed. 

            Waterman said hopes that once Waste Management begins using its automated trucks for trash collection that route completion will become easier and timelier.

            “I want to walk to the post office without somebody complaining about their trash pick-up,” said Waterman.

            “We’ll get there,” Parker said. “It’s brand new.”

            The Board of Selectmen is hosting an informational public forum on the new curbside trash and recycling service on Wednesday, August 14, at 6:00 pm at the Marion Music Hall. Those with questions or concerns should attend.

Marion Board of Selectmen

By Jean Perry

Applications for Affordable Homeownership Opportunity

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Buzzards Bay Area Habitat for Humanity announces that applications are now available for a 1,256 sq.ft. 3-bedroom Habitat for Humanity home located at 153 Fairhaven Road, Mattapoisett. The house price is $170,000. The application deadline is September 18, 2019 by 3:00 pm.

            Applicant households must be income-eligible. Families must fall into the following guidelines, 30% to 60% of the area median income as adjusted by household size: two-person household – $22,200 to $44,400; three-person household – $25,000 to $49,980; four-person household – $27,750 to $55,500; five-person household – $30,000 to $59,940; and six-person household – $32,200 to $64,380.

            Also, families must live or work in our service area (Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Marion, Mattapoisett, New Bedford, Rochester, Wareham, and Westport), have a critical need for a decent affordable home, be willing to partner with Habitat in the construction of their home (i.e., work side-by-side for at least 300 “sweat equity” hours with volunteers or serve the affiliate in other ways), and have the ability to make an estimated monthly mortgage payment of $1,000, which includes escrow for taxes and homeowner’s insurance.

            Applicants are strongly encouraged to attend one of two informational meetings for prospective buyers on Thursday, August 22at 10:00 am or Wednesday, August 28at 7:00 pm at the Mattapoisett Public Library, 7 Barstow Street, Mattapoisett

            Applications may be obtained at:

-Application informational meetings

-Website: www.BuzzardsBayHabitat.org

-Habitat for Humanity office: 8 County Road, Suite 2, Mattapoisett (between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm)

-By calling the Habitat office at 508-758-4517 to have an application emailed or mailed to you

            A Habitat Partnership may be the solution for your family, if you are in critical need of year- round affordable housing, willing to complete the required “sweat equity” on your home and other Habitat Projects (at least 300 hours), able to make housing payments as specified above, unable to qualify for conventional mortgage financing, a first-time home buyer (some exceptions apply), and a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident.

            General information about applying for a Habitat home is available on the website: www.BuzzardsBayHabitat.org.

Rochester Grange Fair

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The 109th Rochester Grange Fair is this Saturday, August 17. The fair will open at 1:30 pm and will continue until 7:00 pm. There will be displays of fruits, vegetables, flowers, handcrafts (sewing, needlework, painting, etc.), canning, and baking, all by local residents. Come see whose entries won the ribbons for best entry in a category.

            Entries can be brought in Friday the 16th in the afternoon from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm and again from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm with judging taking place as soon as all entries are in place. Anyone may enter from the age of 5 years and up not just from Rochester but surrounding towns as well. Remember, the fair book is only a guide. If you have something you would like to enter and it is not listed, bring it down to the Grange Hall at 205 Hartley Rd. anyway.

             A Ham & Bean Supper will be served at 6:00 pm. Tickets can be purchased at the door and are $8.00 for adults & $4.00 for children under 10 years of age.

            The fair will also include a bake table, raffles, and an auction at 7:20 pm of produce from the fair. For information on the fair, contact Sue or Herb at 508-295-8908 or at sash48@comcast.net.

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, which features a horn quartet and a variety of pop styles from the 1900’s to the present, is as follows:

Thundercrest March – E. Osterling

Second American Folk Rhapsody – C. Grundman

Trumpet in the Night – H. Simeone

John Smialek, trumpet

The Symphonic Gershwin – G. Gershwin

Big Band Signatures – arr. J. Higgins

Sinatra – arr. S. Bulla

Maynard Madness – arr. Victor López

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

Blues Brothers Revue – arr. J. Bocook

Tower of Power’s Greatest Hits – arr. V. López

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

Entry of the Gladiators – J. Fucik

            John Smialek, trumpet soloist, holds a master’s degree in music from Northwestern University.  He has performed with the Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra, New Bedford Symphony Orchestra, and the Springfield Symphony Orchestra.  He is also a founding member of the New England Brass Quartet and is the band director at Seekonk High School.  He has been a member of the Marion Concert Band since 1989.

            The concert will be held indoors at the Sippican School in Marion.  Please use the rear entrance on Park Street.  The program, under the direction of Tobias Monte, will begin at 7:00 pm. 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.