Elizabeth Taber Library’s Annual Book Sale

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The Elizabeth Taber Library will be holding its Annual Used Book Sale at the Music Hall in Marion on Friday, July 20(3:00-6:00) and Saturday,July 21(9:00-1:00). The sale will feature books covering a range of subjects such as fiction, history, biography, cooking, sailing, as well as a large selection of children’s books. There will also be many DVDs, CDs, and audio books for sale. Prices will be as follows: hardcover – $3.00, paperback – $2.00, children’s books – 2/$1.00, DVDs and audio books – $2.00, and CDs – $.50. All proceeds will be used to enhance the library’s programs and services. Donations of gently used books and other items may be dropped off at the library until July 19.

Alice G. (Markey) Callaghan

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Alice G. (Markey) Callaghan, 74, of Middleboro died June 29, 2018 at Massachusetts General Hospital after a brief illness.

She was the wife of the late John “Pat” Callaghan.

Born and raised in New Bedford, the daughter of the late Stephen A. and Elizabeth M. (Allen) Markey, she lived in Mattapoisett and Lakeville before moving to Middleboro in 2017.

As the seventh of eight children, Alice cherished the memories of growing up on Bullock Street with her siblings and cousins.

At Holy Family High School, she met and eventually married her sweetheart, Pat Callaghan.

Their daughter, Erin, was the light of their lives, and their house was a second home to many of Erin’s friends. When Erin married John, she happily gained a handsome son, and with grandchildren, Alice soon became everyone’s “Nini”. Kara, Libby and Declan brought Alice more joy than she had ever thought possible, and made the sparkle in her eye all the brighter.

Alice was a devoted educator in the New Bedford Schools, caring for the students’ basic needs, but always with an emphasis on making each child feel special.

Alice was very close to her family and enjoyed many dear friendships in her life. She will be sorely missed by many.

Survivors include her daughter, Erin Cronin and her husband John of Raynham; 3 grandchildren, Kara, Elizabeth and Declan; her brother John “Jack” Markey and his wife Carol of Dartmouth; 4 sisters, Ann Barlow, Ellen Kelly, Elizabeth Shaughnessy and her husband Bill, and Mary Longo and her husband Mike, all of New Bedford, her sister-in-law Mary Markey of Laurel, Maryland; and many nieces and nephews.

She was the mother of the late Kara Callaghan, the sister of the late Stephen Markey, Jr. and Winifred Winslow, and sister in-law of the late Raymond Barlow and Edward Kelly.

Her Funeral will be held on Tuesday, July 3rd at 8:45 am from the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home For Funerals, 50 County Rd. (Rt. 6), Mattapoisett, followed by her Funeral Mass at Holy Name of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church at 10 am. Burial will follow in Pine Grove Cemetery. Visiting hours will be on Monday, July 2nd from 4-8 pm. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to Women & Infants Neonatal Unit 101 Dudley St. Providence, RI 02905 in memory of their late daughter Kara Callaghan or to Hasbro Children’s Hospital, 593 Eddy St., Providence, RI 02903 in memory of Dominic Longo.

 

The Scoop on S.C.O.P.E.

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The 7th-graders at Old Rochester Regional Junior High School present for the final full week of school from June 18-22 took place in another of the school’s 40+ years tradition – S.C.O.P.E week – Student Centered Opportunity for Personal Enhancement, giving students a chance to learn while learning about themselves and each other.

Kathy Gauvin, a teacher at ORR Junior High, said S.C.O.P.E. week is a collaborative effort between the teachers of the blue and red teams at the school and has a different event or outing planned for each day of the week.

“The week is just so nice because it’s a time when the classroom is outside in a different structure so it’s so much more relaxed for the kids,” said Gauvin. “It’s an opportunity to do things with your classmates that you might not necessarily get to do – outside the classroom.”

One day it’s a cruise in Newport, Rhode Island, another it’s a day of roller-skating, and another day, which was Wednesday, June 22 this year, was one of teamwork that culminated along the shore of the Mattapoisett YMCA, where it is, one could say, a survival of the floatest.

For seven years now, students have worked together in teams of four designing and constructing cardboard boats using nothing but duct tape to hold them together.

“It’s a design challenge for them I guess you could say,” said Gauvin. “It’s something they do on their own and then they work outside of the classroom and bring it in.”

As tradition dictates, the teams arrive on the beach at the Mattapoisett YMCA to see which ones float and which ones are the fastest to the finish line.

They have plenty of time to make their boats – months, in fact. But, as Gauvin pointed out, not all of them use the full months-long planning process. Some get started the day before the race, she noted.

“Depending upon how much work they put into it, you can have a boat that lasts forever, or one that doesn’t get past the dock,” she said. “I’ve had some boats [in the past] that were incredible.”

The teams decide which two of the four members will actually test out the boats on the day of the race, and the teams are timed as they paddle their way to the finish – unless they sink before they make it there, of course.

“It really is a nice kind of community event because parents, families, and friends will go,” Gauvin said. “It’s a nice community event and the teachers get to meet the parents.”

This year’s first place team was Caitlin Collyer, Sakurako Huynh-Aoyama, Quinn O’Brien-Nichols, and Julia Foye with their boat “Funky Monkey”, with O’Brien-Nichols and Foye at the helm that morning.

By Jean Perry

Towns Unprepared for Preparedness, Says Marion

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On June 26, the Marion Board of Health discussed a recent conference attended by Health Agent Karen Walega and Public Health Nurse Kathleen Downey.

The conference, sponsored by the Plymouth County Public Health Emergency Preparedness Coalition, brought together communities throughout the county to discuss processes and procedures in times of emergencies that might impact entire areas.

Walega said her main take away for the Tri-Town area encompassing Marion, Mattapoisett, and Rochester was, “We are not all on the same page.”

When asked by Board of Health members Betsy Dunn and Dr. Jason Reynolds what she meant, she wasn’t able to clearly articulate the point. But Downey did.

Downey said that, while Marion had representation at the preparedness meeting from decision makers in the Town — Selectman Norm Hills, Walega, and herself –, Rochester and Mattapoisett’s representation wasn’t equal to the task. She said the director of the Mattapoisett Council on Aging, Jackie Coucci, and Mattapoisett’s assistant Board of Health agent, Kate Tapper — people she felt do not hold decision-making roles when it came to regional disaster preparedness — had been sent to attend the preparedness meeting.

Downey said of the three towns, “We need to work together.”

“I need your help,” Downey implored Dunn and Reynolds. “We need an agreement between the three towns,” she said, referencing a Tri-Town coalition; a necessity, she added, in demonstrating to the state that Marion, Rochester, and Mattapoisett were working together, thus positioning them for regional benefits otherwise not available.

In response to Downey’s request for assistance in this matter, Reynolds said the Board of Health would have further discussion with Hills and potentially attend the next Tri-Town Selectmen’s meeting to explore this topic further.

Also during the meeting, flavored tobacco products were briefly discussed as Walega shared bylaw document edits she had gleaned from the Town of Avon for inclusion into Marion’s draft document.

Present from the Coalition for Responsible Retailors was Dennis Lane who asked where the town stood on menthol cigarettes. Reynolds responded that menthol-flavored tobacco would be excluded from flavored tobacco and nicotine restriction regulations for the time being. He was advised that the issue of tobacco products might be raised at the August 28 or September 22 meetings.

In her report, Downey said that she had received requests for immunizations for shingles, but that the town does not stock the vaccine. She said she would seek grant options for the community.

On the subject of suicide support groups, Downey said that both Plymouth and Bristol Counties had approached her regarding setting up support groups. She confessed to not feeling qualified to handle such groups and believed it necessary that someone trained in the discipline take on that role.

“I have no clear roadmap on suicide,” she said while asking for guidance.

This discussion melded into a larger conversation Downey had recently had with the Southcoast Hospital Group to, which the town had sought a $10,000 a grant for the education of elementary teachers on the issue, but only received $2,500.

The next meeting of the Marion Board of Health is scheduled for July 10 at 4:30 pm in the Marion Town House meeting room.

Marion Board of Health

By Marilou Newell

 

Mattapoisett Congregational Church Yard Sale

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The Mattapoisett Congregational Church is now accepting items for our August 4Yard Sale – 8:30 am to 12:00 pm.

Downsizing your house? Cleaning your closets? Whatever your reason may be, please consider donating to the Mattapoisett Congregational Church yard sale. Something for everyone: children’s table, jewelry table, household items, clothing, and furniture (tables, chairs, clothing, bureaus, end tables, and desks).

Donating items for the sale is easy. We accept donations at the Mechanics Street door, Monday through Friday from 8:30 – 12:00 starting on July 2. Please call the church office if you need a later drop-off time so we can arrange to have someone meet you. Please DO NOT leave items outside the church after hours. We cannot accept the following: luggage, electronics, upholstered furniture, text books, books, or appliances.

Questions: call or email the Mattapoisett Congregational Church at 508-758-2671 or mattcongchurch@gmail.com.

UCCRTS Honor Roll

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Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School’s 4th Quarter Honor Roll for 2018 included:

– Grade 10 High Honors Bethany Davis of Marion

– Grade 11 High Honors Delaney Gosse of Marion

– Grade 11 High Honors Christopher Rogers of Marion

ConCom Breezes Through Agenda

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The members of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission breezed through five public hearings in 30 minutes on June 25.

First up was a Request for Determination of Applicability filed by Kenneth Yokel for property located at 94 Fairhaven Road. After handing over a thick stack of abutter notifications, affectionately referred to as “green cards” by the commission, the applicant’s request for permission to pave an existing gravel driveway received a Negative Determination (no Notice of Intent required). The Yokels had previously sought and received guidance from the commission on best practices during the paving phase in harmony with the Wetlands Protection Act.

Dan Bungert filed a Notice of Intent application for property located off River Bend Lane. Carmelo Nicolosi of Charon Associates, Inc., represented Bungert as he discussed the construction of a single-family home with driveway planned for construction. Nicolosi shared that a percolation test had been completed in 2009, that erosion controls were planned during the construction, and Conservation Agent Elizabeth Leidhold had confirmed the wetland flagging. One small blip in the hearing surfaced when it was learned that the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program office had not yet responded to a request for their input on construction impact to wildlife in the area. The hearing was continued until July 9 awaiting their response.

Jon Connell of Field Engineering representing Manuel Palomo, 117 Mattapoisett Neck Road, came before the commission with a Notice of Intent filing for the construction of a garage. Palomo received permission with the issuance of standard conditions.

A Request For Determination of Applicability filed for Susan Fine, 20 Silver Shell Avenue, for the installation of a concrete block patio space received a Negative Determination.

And last item on the easy-breezy agenda was a Request for Determination of Applicability filed by Peter and Ellen Fitzpatrick, 21 Shore View Avenue, to increase the footprint of an existing pilings by four inches to accommodate a small structural change to the home received a Negative 3 Determination.

The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission is scheduled for July 9 at 6:30 pm in the town hall conference room.

Mattapoisett Conservation Commission

By Marilou Newell

 

Drama Holds Banquet, Names 2018-2019 Shows

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On June 24, the ORR Drama Club held their end of the year banquet outside for the very first time. Normally, the banquet is held at the school’s auditorium, but due to some unforeseen circumstances, the event was held at the house of Lisa Cardoza. Cardoza is president of Friends of Old Rochester Drama, more commonly known as F.O.R.D.

            Students performed their Cabaret acts, as that event had also been canceled due to unforeseen circumstances. Julia Melloni gave a lovely performance of “Party Favor” on her ukulele, followed by Olivia Guillotte happily singing “Walking at Midnight”. Seniors Jack Roussell, Alice Bednarczyk, Bella Rodriguez, Ethan Mort, and Noah Paknis performed “Yellow Submarine”, with Roussell on guitar, bringing the entire club into a sing-along for the chorus.

            Due to technical difficulties, Melloni gave an impromptu comedy act while waiting for performer Grace Stevens. Stevens, singing “Cabaret”, reminded the club she had sung in every Cabaret since freshman year and wanted to sing “Cabaret” from the musical Cabaretat Cabaret her senior year. Juniors Michaela Mattson and Victoria Kvilhaug sang a duet of “Little Talks” with Kvilhaug on guitar.

            After the wonderful Cabaret acts, club representatives Katie Maclean (co-president), Lauren Gonslalves (vice-president), and Julia Melloni (treasurer) gave out the Senior Superlatives, which every senior received. The awards were for attributes like Biggest Appetite, Most Talkative, Highest Voice, etc.

            Posters were handed out, and director Paul Sardinha congratulated all of the seniors who won F.O.R.D. and other drama-related scholarships.

            Helen Blake, lovingly referred to as ‘Mama B’, is celebrating her 25th year of doing costumes for the club. In honor of this, Sardinha and Cardoza sang “Do You Love the Drama Club?” to the music from Fiddler on the Roof’s“Do You Love Me?” with Sardinha on piano. They presented Blake with a bouquet of flowers and tearful hugs, wishing her many more years of creating costumes for her beloved drama club.

            To her kids, Mrs. Blake said fondly, “You don’t realize the power you have for someone in the background who can’t do what you do.”

            Sardinha also reminded everyone of next year’s fall production of White Christmas. The show will include a very large orchestra and quite a bit of tap dancing. Also announced was the spring show, Anything Goes.

            “It will be a huge production we are doing next year, so everyone better be ready to start working and have a ball,” said Sardinha.

            Get a ticket as soon as they are available because the shows sell out fast for this drama club, especially the musicals.

            The club decided on next year’s representatives: Nolan LaRochelle and Grace Mastroianni as co-presidents, Michaela Mattson as vice-president, Victoria Kvilhaug for treasurer, along with reps Alexander Wurl and Amaya Bell.

            “As co-president, I look forward to working with our amazing drama reps and with all the students to make the club awesome for next year,” LaRochelle stated.

            The new representatives were knighted by their predecessors, with Melloni standing in for Maclean’s co-president Chris Savino, who was unable to attend the banquet.

            Pictures were taken, and the Drama Club ended the year with anticipation and excitement over what the next year has in store for them.

ORR Update

By Grace Mastroianni

Marion Natural History Museum Yard Sale

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A wide variety of fun, nature-themed objects – large & small, indigenous crafts from all over the world – from baskets & tools to dolls, as well as ethnic jewelry. We will also have many books about Nature, field guides to seashore, seabirds, stars, flora & fauna, maritime narratives, and novels; as well as New England History and Lore. Donations to the Marion Museum of Natural History Yard Sale of nature-related themes are gladly accepted. All of these items will be priced for kid-sized wallets, so get there early for the best selection. Date:July 7from 10 am – 4 pm at the Museum, which is located on the second floor of the building we share with the Marion Town Library at 8 Spring Street, Marion, MA. All proceeds to benefit the Marion Natural History Museum, a 501 C 3 nonprofit organization.

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 125 Allen’s Point. Until as late as 1890, Allen’s Point was a remote, undeveloped part of Marion. By the mid-19th century, Allen’s Point was part of Henry D. and Stephen Allen’s holdings. Their homes were located on the west side of Point Road, near its intersection with Cross Neck Road, but they no longer exist. The Allens were farmers. Henry D. Allen was one of Marion’s first three selectmen in 1852-1854. At some point between 1855 and 1879, the Allens sold Allen’s Point, the West Drive area, and other tracts south of Point Road to George Delano. The lovely summer estate of Edward M. Clark at 125 Allen’s Point Road was designed by the Boston architectural firm of Coolidge and Carlson. It was built in the early 1900s. Among Coolidge’s best-known works were Byerly and Randolph Halls (at Radcliffe and Harvard respectively), dormitories at Wellesley College, and the Bates College Library in Lewiston, Maine. This home is of the finest example of Tudor Revival domestic architecture in Marion. Outbuildings include a stable, garden house, and boat house. Edward M. Clark commissioned the Boston landscape architect Arthur A. Shurcliff, a student of Frederick Law Olmsted, to design the south garden and the estate’s grounds. His best-known landscape work was in Colonial Williamsburg. Clark sold the property to Richard Hoyt, whose daughter, Virginia Peirson, inherited the property from her parents.