John D. Martin

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John D. Martin of Mattapoisett, Massachusetts, formerly of Barrington, went to be with his Lord on July 11, 2019. He was surrounded by his loving family and friends who supported him in his battle with Mesothelioma for the last two years.

            John was born on April 11, 1952 in Chicopee, Massachusetts, the son of Bradford R. Martin, Sr. and Anna (Pardo) Martin. He spent his formative years in Chicopee and attended Northfield-Mt. Hermon School, Class of 1970. He earned his B.A. cum laude from Tufts University, his M.Ed. from American International College, and his M.Divinity from Yale University. Upon graduating from Yale, John started a career in Independent Schools that included teaching or administrative posts at Choate-Rosemary Hall, Tabor Academy, The Peddie School and Sewickley Academy. He was proud to serve for nineteen years as the 7th Headmaster of St. Andrew’s School in Barrington, RI retiring in 2015. During his tenure at Headmaster, the school almost doubled in size, increased its endowment dramatically, and finished an ambitious building program that included a new science building, a new gymnasium, an expanded dining hall, two new dormitories, and an Arts Center. This was the result of two capital campaigns that raised more the $30 million. More significantly, he helped instill a sense of pride in St. Andrew’s mission and helped students see their potential. He was always happy to watch a struggling student succeed and walk across the stage to receive a diploma.

            After St. Andrew’s, John decided to stay busy and became the Headmaster at Nativity Preparatory School in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Nativity is a tuition-free school for underprivileged boys and John felt drawn to the mission having been a scholarship student himself. During his short time as Headmaster, John was able to oversee a change in curriculum as well as a significant building project that added play space for the boys. He also led a capital campaign that raised over $2.1 million for both renovations and a sustainability fund.

            A devout Christian, John served as a leader in all the churches he attended teaching Bible classes and Church history. His belief in God’s love and salvation carried him through many difficult times. This was especially true as he faced terminal cancer. He never once doubted his faith and believed with all his heart death was not the end.

            John married the love of his life Sheila Brennan Martin on March 2, 1985 and together they forged a relationship of love and friendship that stood the test of time. Best friends and lovers, they spent hours with one another attending their children’s games, running together, and just having fun. Besides Sheila, John leaves behind three loving sons, Patrick, Conor and John Ryan. He was proud of the men they had become and loved spending time with each of them. John also leaves behind his brother Bradford Martin Jr. and his wife Beth of Agawam MA, his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Bill and Kathy Brennan of Rochester MA, his brother in law, William Brennan and his wife Melissa of Virginia, his sister-in-law Barbara Lochte of Seguine, Texas as well as eight nieces and nephews.

            A memorial service will be held on August 23, at 11:00 am at Barrington Baptist Church in Barrington RI. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers John asked that memorial donations be made to: 

South Coast Community Church, 34 Center Street, Fairhaven, MA 02719
John Martin Scholarship Fund, Nativity Preparatory School, 66 Spring Street, New Bedford, MA 02740
nativitynb.org/donate/
John Martin Scholarship Fund, St. Andrew’s School, 63 Federal Road, Barrington, Rhode Island 02806
www.standrews-ri.org/giving/ways-to-give
Arrangements are by the W. Raymond Watson Funeral Home, 350 Willett Avenue, Riverside. For online condolences please visit wrwatsonfuneralhome.com

Norman R. Cayer

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Norman R. Cayer, 97 of Mattapoisett died July 16, 2019 peacefully at Sippican Health Care Center after a period of declining health.

            He was the husband of the late Claire F. (Fontaine) Cayer.

            Born in New Bedford, the son of the late Jules L. and Emma (Robitaille) Cayer, he lived in New Bedford for most of his life before moving to Mattapoisett in 2004.

            He was a communicant of St. Anthony’s Church in Mattapoisett.

            Mr. Cayer was the proprietor of Fontaine Plumbing and Heating for many years until his retirement. He had also worked as a sales representative for the Fall River Herald News and a field executive for the Boys Scouts of America Fall River Council.

            He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and Korea. He was an active member of the Massachusetts Association of Master Plumbers and was chairman of the by-laws Committee. He was an honorary life member of the Knights of Columbus McMahon Council, and honorary life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Whaling City Post 3196.

            Survivors include his 2 sons, Robert N. Cayer, and his wife Joan, of Lunenburg, MA, and Paul A. Cayer, and his wife Eileen, of Mattapoisett; 2 daughters, Louise F. Cruz, and her husband Ronald, of Fairfax, VA, and Julie M. Cayer of Fairhaven; a brother, John Cayer of Fall River; 2 sisters, Therese Kavanaugh of Dartmouth and Gabrielle Deane of Exton, PA; 8 grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

            He was the father of the late Charles A. Cayer, grandfather of the late Geofrey Cayer.

            His Memorial Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, August 3rd at 10 am at St. Anthony’s Church, Mattapoisett. Visiting hours are omitted. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to The Charles A. Cayer Scholarship Fund, Bishop Stang High School, 500 Slocum Road, North Dartmouth, MA 02747 or the Lcpl Geofrey R. Cayer Memorial Fund C/O Beth Slattery IC Credit Union, 300 Bemis Road, Fitchburg, MA 01420. Arrangements are with Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Route 6, Mattapoisett. For online condolence book, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

Cushing Cemetery Fence

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Own a piece of Mattapoisett history and help support the Cushing Cemetery at the same time. We have replaced 58 sections of antique fencing with new fencing and we are offering sections to the general public. The fencing is made from wrought iron, very heavy, and in excellent shape. The reason we replaced the fence was because it was cheaper to replace the fence than it was to scrape, sand, and paint the fence.

            Some of the fence has been repainted, but most have not. But in any case, one or two sections in your yard or garden or leaning against your house to act as a trellis would look great. The possibilities are endless.

            Please call Dana Tripp at 508-728-1403 for pricing and details. All monies generated will go into the Cushing Cemetery treasury for the care and upkeep of the cemetery.

Bourne Wareham Art Association Annual Show

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The Bourne Wareham Art Association is pleased to announce their 55th annual summer art show and sale on Saturday,July 20.This event will be held at the Wareham Historical Society Meeting House conveniently located at 495 Main St. Wareham from 10:00 am to 3:30 pm. Plenty of off-street parking is available. This event will feature fine art like oil, acrylic, watercolor and mixed media paintings, photographs, crafts, wooden sculptures and more created by local artists. A portion of the proceeds is used to fund the association’s art awards to be given to local high school students. New members are welcome. Please see our Facebook page at The Original Bourne-Wareham Art Association. Please Contact Tim Foley, Show Manager, timfoley387@gmail.com for additional details.

By Marilou Newell

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            Tri-Town school districts are switching their outsourced custodial services and agreed to restructure their Bristol Aggie transportation on July 11 during a meeting of the Marion, Mattapoisett, and Rochester School Committees, voting to allow the administration to seek less costly quotes from various bussing companies.

            Facilities Director Gene Jones told the school committees that several years ago the school districts made the move to outsource custodial services, but the company they chose “didn’t work out well.”

            According to Jones, some of the contracted services weren’t being performed regularly, and creating a checklist to enforce custodial procedures was unsuccessful.

            “The schools were clean, but not in accordance with the scope of work that we hired them for in the contract,” said Jones.

            The committee approved a one-year custodial contract with FM & M (Facilities Management and Maintenance), a non-profit, union-represented custodial firm. The districts will also be able to renew that contract for another two years if they are satisfied with FM & M.

            At the request of the committees, Jones will provide regular reports on progress with the new company “… and they will provide an opportunity to make the environment clean and safe for our students,” said Superintendent Doug White.

            As for Bristol Aggie transportation, Business Administrator Paul Kitchen (resigned effective September 24) explained that the three towns currently transport their students to Dighton using two different companies and two different routes.

            Mattapoisett students participate in a combination run stop at the Fairhaven Stop & Shop using Whaling City Transit, while Marion and Rochester share a combined route with Braga Transportation.

            Kitchen said he found Mattapoisett’s daily cost of $290 to be “a little expensive” and proposed the Tri-Town seek bids to use one company for a combined Tri-Town route.

            “It (the route) wouldn’t be as long as what the Fairhaven one was,” which leaves Fairhaven and then travels to Lakeville, Freetown, and Dighton, said Kitchen. He said he’s seeking the most effective and efficient method of getting Tri-Town students to the agricultural high school.

            Transportation to Bristol Aggie falls under each individual town’s budget, and Kitchen said organizing to create one contract with one company is “the most efficient way to get kids there without putting the ugly burden on the K-6 budget.”

            Kitchen did add that bussing Tri-Town students to Bristol Aggie could require two vehicles due to the distance between students in each of the three towns.

            “I’m just trying to minimize the cost because the cost is not broken out separately from your elementary expenditures,” Kitchen said.

            Kitchen said he would have a final quote for approval by the end of July.

Marion, Mattapoisett, and Rochester School Committees

By Jean Perry

Rochester Closer to Cheaper Electricity Rates

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The Rochester Board of Selectmen on July 15 signed the service agreement with Good Energy, the consultant that will negotiate electricity rates on behalf of Rochester as the town approaches official participation in the Southeastern Regional Planning & Economic Development District (SRPEDD) Community Electricity Aggregation (CEA).

            Voters at the Annual Town Meeting on May 20 approved joining the CEA, of which Rochester is the last of the 20 eligible municipalities in the region to join.

            The SRPEDD CEA was formed in January 2016 and renewed again in 2018. The next renewal is not until January 2021, however, so Good Energy suggested Rochester begin its membership in the CEA in the spring of 2020 on a one-year term at first, and then join the aggregation during its renewal in 2021.

            All Rochester residents will be automatically entered into the CEA and will not notice a difference in their electric service, aside from the lower electricity rate, and will still receive just one bill from Eversource. The only information that would be different on the bill would be the name of the electricity provider. Eversource will remain the distributor and still be in charge of metering, billing, and maintenance of the power lines.

            The CEA is an “opt-out” program, meaning residents who do not wish to participate are allowed to withdraw without any penalties at any time simply by calling Eversource to inform them.

            The CEA comprises 434,461 residences and has saved those customers a cumulative total of roughly $14 million between 2016-2019.

            In other matters, the board accepted a letter of resignation from Chris Post from her appointments on the Conservation Commission and the Capital Planning.

            Also during the meeting, Town Administrator Suzanne Szyndlar announced that renovations in the basement of Town Hall are now complete and will provide a second meeting room.

            A Household Hazardous Waste Day has been scheduled for Saturday, July 27, from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm at the Highway Barn located at 200 Ryder Road in Rochester, which will be open to Rochester and Mattapoisett residents only, with proof of residency required.

            The board is looking ahead at a Special Town Meeting for the fall, choosing October 28 and November 18 as tentative dates.

            The next meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen is scheduled for August 5. 

Rochester Board of Selectmen

By Jean Perry

The Nemasket Group Golf Fundraiser

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The Nemasket Group will hold its annual golf event on August 26. The Nemasket Group offers personalized flexible support to families and individuals with disabilities to live, work, and develop relationships within the community. The event will feature a live auction, silent auctions, and raffles as well as lunch and dinner. For extra fun there will be an air cannon on hole #7, a putting contest, and a hole in one chance to win a GMC vehicle. This is your chance to play golf at the Bay Club and help out a wonderful group of people. If you are interested in playing this fun event, contact Amy Cornell @nemasketgroup or call 508-999-4436.

St. Philip’s Episcopal Church

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For 135 years, St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in Mattapoisett has held summer only services for parishioners.

            Each Sunday through Labor Day, visiting clergy from Massachusetts and beyond conduct services, using the 1928 Book of Common Prayer, at 8:00 am and 10:00 am.

            On Sunday,July 21, services will be officiated by the Reverend Randall Chase, Jr., Retired Asst. Director & President, EDS, Cambridge, MA.

            All are welcome at our historic church next to the Town Beach in Mattapoisett.

Marion Trash Collection: What to Expect

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            As Marion prepares for its transition from town-operated curbside trash and recycling to its new private curbside collection company, Waste Management, Town Administrator Jay McGrail gave the Marion Board of Selectmen an update on July 16 on what residents should expect in the upcoming weeks.

            Waste Management will assume the curbside collection on August 1, beginning first with manual collection of residents’ existing privately owned barrels before it switches to the automated trucks.

            McGrail said, at first, trash collection would appear “exactly the same” as it currently does. “It just won’t be our (the town’s) guys and our trucks,” said McGrail.

            The new trash and recycling bins will be delivered to residents during the week of August 26, and the automated curbside pickup using those bins will start September 2.

            The pickup schedule will remain as it is now, determined by the current pickup schedule, with trash every week and recycling every other week.

            McGrail said this week the town will be releasing a digital version of an informational flyer on the town website followed by the mailing of a paper copy in the mail. A more comprehensive mailer will be sent out to residents the week just prior to the scheduled bin delivery that will include more detailed information along with a printed calendar of pickups for the coming months.

            The town will hold a public informational forum on the new curbside collection service on Wednesday, August 14, at 6:00 pm at the Marion Music Hall, 164 Front Street.

            McGrail also provided some clarification on commercial pickup versus residential pickup, explaining that currently the town services 12 commercial locations and will continue to do so by ‘grandfathering’ those 12 locations into the new collection service. However, should one of those 12 businesses require an additional trash receptacle, that extra bin would have to be purchased and an additional fee in the form of a sticker would be charged for the additional bin collection. Otherwise, these 12 businesses will not be charged any further fees as long as they “live within the residential allotment,” McGrail said, which is one trash and one recycling bin per deed.

            Also, if you answered the Town’s poll on your preference for trash and recycling bin colors, the winning colors were green for trash, and blue for recycling.

            In other business, the board interviewed Jayson Reynolds and Albin Johnson, applicants for the Board of Health seat vacated by resigned BOH member Betsy Dunn, and both former members of the Board of Health.

            The board will interview another applicant, Dot Brown, during the August 13 meeting and take a vote that night on their chosen candidate.

            In other matters, Town Planner Gil Hilario gave the board an update on the development of a Green Community projects list prioritizing how the Town will spend its $132,672 in grant money.

            Hilario said the list includes a new gas boiler for Fire Station 1, a demand control ventilation system at Sippican School, and a conversion to LED lighting at the school.

            The high efficiency boiler, costing $55,000, will save the Town roughly $2,800 a year, said Hilario, and the ventilation system, $14,520, should save the Town $7,200 a year. The LED lights costing $66,000 will save the Town about $22,000 a year on utilities, said Hilario.

            Once these funds are spent, the Town is eligible to reapply for further Green Communities grants next year. Hilario hopes to see some Green Community grant money cover some future significant energy efficiency projects at the Town House.

            Police Chief John Garcia requested “No Parking” signs be placed on one side of Park Street and signs on the Planting Island Cove causeway, known to the locals as “Clam Road,” that will read “Privilege Sticker Required” and “No Parking/Tow Zone,” which the board approved pending final approval of the exact language of the signs.

            The board voted to appoint McGrail as the Records Access Officer, and appointed Peter Douglas to the Historical Commission.

            The Town House will be closing early on Thursday, August 15, to allow Town House employees time to clean out the clutter in their offices.

            The next regular meeting of the Marion Board of Selectmen is scheduled for August 6 at 7:00 pm at the Marion police station, and will need to hold additional meetings on August 13, August 20, and August 27, all at 7:00 pm and all located at the police station.

Marion Board of Selectmen

By Jean Perry

Triathlon Tests Young and Old Alike

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            A triathlon is simply not your run-of-the-mill sporting event. The demands made on the body are great, but the demands made on the athletes’ minds are even greater. Add to that some hot blazing sun and high humidity and you have a challenge that is not one-size-fits-all; this is a challenge that will test each participant in different ways. While some may be strong swimmers whose time set them ahead of the pack, they may not be a strong runner or cyclist and vice versa. But plow ahead they must through the three physical feats. 

            The 39thannual Lions Club Triathlon brings together young and old alike. It also brings out families who have a tradition of racing together, and others who are establishing a new tradition. There are the folks who’ve done the race for many years and those trying it for the first time. And why do men, women, and children do it? It could be as simple as just wanting to be able to say you did.

            The field included 103 bibs with five relay teams. Before the race, many participants cycled the route or stretched legs over part of the road course while others swam in the warm, slack sea. The condition of the water was a big plus for the swimmers, there wasn’t a hint of a breeze to ruffle the water, and the tide itself meant that swimming, not slogging, could take place.

            And what about those participants? Returning for her fifth year was Terry Myers-Coney, 66, of Stow. Myers-Coney said she does triathlons because they make her feel good.

            “I do about two or three each year,” she said. “I did one in Lake Placid.”

            Good news for her effort, Myers-Coney won her age group finishing in 1:42:17.

            Morgan Browning, a Mattapoisett native, graduate of Old Rochester Regional High School and recent University of Florida graduate, has been running almost since she was old enough to walk. Now, she said, more recently she’d been thinking about swimming as her sport of choice. As a lifeguard in town, she gets her share of time in the water. Browning finished in 1:21:35.

            Joe Hale of Warren, Rhode Island returned for the fourth time, saying he had previously come in second in his age group. This year, at 65 years old, he finished 1:12:57 – a third place showing.

            Liz Adams of Mattapoisett was competing for the tenth year, but this year adding to the fun was her 12-year-old daughter, Tess. Mom said she would stay with her daughter all the way as the duo had trained and set this event as a goal they could do together. Tess’ time was 1:22:27; Mom’s was 1:25:00.

            A trio of moms made up the relay team dubbed “Poi Moms.” These mamas were Heather Moulton, Hillary Vineyard, and Liza Appleby. Their combined time was 1:08:17, putting them in third place for their category. Vineyard said she had also completed the Buzzards Bay Coalition’s 1.2-mile open water swim and found that easier than the quarter-mile sprint of the triathlon.

            “This one you can’t stop,” said Appleby. “You keep going without a break. I got winded right away.”

            The first swimmer out of the water was Tomaso Mennatti. Mennatti was headed towards a winning record finish but then found he had been disqualified. He took a wrong turn on the run, essentially cutting off a quarter mile of the course. When he crossed the finished line, he questioned the speed with which he finished and quickly realized what had happened.

            “In that moment I didn’t know, but I should have known which way (to go).” He was gracious about possibly being misdirected and took full responsibility for not knowing the course.

            The Tri-Town area had a relatively small showing with only two bibs from Rochester and 17 from Mattapoisett. None were from Marion. All other participants came from nearby locations such as Fairhaven and Acushnet and as far away as Colorado!

            Other than those aforementioned Tri-Town locals, the field included: Tom Bozzo, 1:02:46; Darnyl DaSilva, 1:03:24; John Jackson, 1:04:27; Nicole Harrington, 1:05:30; Michael Medeiros, 1:07:48; Aline Graves, 1:12:36; Wayne Cordeira, 1:14:10; Gretchen Bobola, 1:15:02; Sarah Gomes, 1:16:17; Dennis Barley, 1:16:19; John Jenney, 1:21:44; Samantha Ball, 1:24:29; Brady Maguire, 1:29:01; Paul Maguire, 1:29:03, Michael Pellegrino, 1:32:01, and Maggie Haley, 1:34:28.

            For all triathlon results visit www.NE-timing.com.