MAC Call for Artists

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The Marion Art Center invites all members in good standing to submit two pieces for exhibit and sale in its 2018 Summer Members’ Show. All pieces must be appropriately matted, framed and ready to hang (with hanging wire on the back affixed securely to the frame with eye hooks – no sawtooth hangers) and must not have been shown at MAC previously. Registration by Friday, July 13th is required.

The drop off date for pieces is Tuesday, July 17from 1 pm to 5 pm. at the Marion Art Center, 80 Pleasant Street, Marion.

The Summer Members’ show will open on Friday, July 20, with a reception honoring participating artists from 6-8 pm. Membership to the Marion Art Center is open to all, and our upcoming membership dates will be from August 1, 2018 to July 31, 2019.

For more information about this exhibition, please visit the Marion Art Center website at www.marionartcenter.org, call 508-748-1266 or drop by the Marion Art Center at 80 Pleasant Street in Marion during gallery hours: Tuesday-Friday, 1-5 pm; Saturday, 10 am – 2 pm.

George B. Bassett, Sr.

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George B. Bassett, Sr., 73, of Marion, died Saturday, June 30, 2018 at Tobey Hospital in Wareham unexpectedly.  He was the husband of Janice L. (Valle) Bassett.  They were married for 54 years.

Born in Acushnet, he was the son of the late Arthur E. and Florence H. (Bumpus) Bassett.  George worked as a driver and installer for Sea Gas of Mattapoisett for 45 years.

He loved his family, gambling at Foxwoods, working in his yard, and listening to music of all types.

Survivors include his wife, Janice Bassett of Marion; his children, George Bassett and his wife Joann of Lakeville, and Mary Melanson and her husband Scott of W. Wareham; his brother, Arthur Bassett of W. Wareham; his grandchildren, Glenn Bassett, Dean Bassett, and Kassandra Noble; his great grandchildren, Mason Noble, Logan Lovasco, Gavin Bassett, Jayden Bassett, and Kalianna Lovasco.  He was predeceased by his brother, the late Robert Bassett

A celebration of his life will be held on Sat., Sept. 22, 2018 at The Century House, 107 S. Main St., Acushnet from 11:30 AM to 4 PM.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to a charity of your choice.

Arrangements by Chapman, Cole & Gleason Funeral Home, Wareham.  For directions and on-line guestbook visit: www.ccgfuneralhome.com

Marion BOH Heat Advisory

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The National Weather Service has issued multiple heat advisories over the past several days, and expects this level of heat to be present through Friday.

The Marion Board of Health reminds everyone to increase their fluid intake to decrease their personal risk of experiencing dehydration.  Dehydration occurs when there is a fluid imbalance in your body and can result in symptoms such as excessive thirst, sleepiness, tiredness, dizziness, headaches, and mental confusion.   To prevent dehydration from occurring, area residents are reminded to drink eight 8 ounce glasses of water daily.

Melissa Bernier, RN, BSN created a reusable (with dry erase markers) personal reminder card for residents to keep track of their daily water intake.  These cards are magnetized and suitable for mounting on refrigerators. The Marion Board of Health and the Marion Council on Aging have a limited number of these cards available for area residents.  Stay hydrated!

Rochester’s New Wheelchair Offers Beach Access

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When you see the Town of Rochester’s new big-wheel wheelchair, it’s rather obvious where it is meant to take someone with mobility challenges. With its bright blue and white striped chair, and big, bright yellow inflatable tires and armrests that make the chair look like it could float on water, you know immediately where that chair belongs – at the beach.

After weeks of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant alterations to the Town’s facilities and buildings, which included widened automatic doors, restrooms, and paved walkways, the town has also acquired a handicap beach wheelchair that is ready for Rochester residents to borrow for trips to the beach.

For those with disabilities and the elderly who find walking difficult, traversing a beach in a conventional wheelchair is impossible without a paved walkway or wooden boardwalk. But with this new three-wheeler beach chair and the assistance of a friend, a person who was once prevented from enjoying a day at the beach can now share in the experience.

Andrew Daniel, Rochester’s facilities manager, said the Town had some money left over from a state grant he helped secure for much needed ADA compliant upgrades to provide handicap access to town buildings. During the ADA compliance planning process, Daniel consulted with a Rochester resident who relies on a wheelchair to get around in his busy life as a college professor.

“He was telling me how some other coastal towns have special ramps or mats to get across the beach, or special chairs to get across the sand,” said Daniel on Friday, June 22, outside the Rochester Council on Aging where the new chair sat fully assembled on the lawn. “He told me when he takes his kids to the beach he sits in his car and just watches them from the car.”

Recalling that conversation, Daniel said, “It hurt me a little bit hearing that.”

When Daniel found a couple thousand in grant money left over from the other ADA projects, he looked into how much it would cost to provide Rochester residents, who have access rights to Silvershell Beach in Marion, some way to enjoy the beach. Daniel found a company in Florida that sells the “Water Wheels” beach wheelchairs and, with the remaining grant money, bought one for the town.

“[Residents] can take it to the beach and bring it back,” said Daniel. All he needs is a one-day notice ahead of time, and he can have the chair ready to be picked up at the COA. A waiver is in the works for residents to sign upon checking out the chair at no cost. “They can enjoy the beach and that’s pretty much the goal,” said Daniel.

The beach wheelchair isn’t limited to just Silvershell Beach, either. The chair can be used at ponds, too. The big wheels can plow through sand with ease, and the chair can be brought right into the water with the assistance of another bather. The chair folds up easily, and the wheels and armrests can be removed to fit the entire chair into the trunk or backseat of a vehicle. Reassembly is just as easy, mentioned Daniel.

“Hopefully it’s a benefit to the residents,” Daniel said. “Anybody can take it.”

At this time the chair is only available to Rochester residents, but Daniel said he has told the Marion Recreation Department about the chair, and offering the chair for loan to Marion residents could soon follow.

“It seems only fair that we would let the Marion elderly and disabled use it, too,” said Daniel.

Rochester residents who wish to borrow the chair can call the Rochester COA at 508-763-8723 and make arrangements for pickup.

Daniel hopes the word will get out and residents will begin to use the chair now that it’s here – and, finally, so is summer.

“I’m pretty excited about it,” said Daniel. “I’m excited to see how it’ll work out.”

By Jean Perry

Garden Groomers Are Back

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Do you enjoy sunshine, salt air, and harbor views? If so, please join the Mattapoisett Land Trust’s Garden Groomers! We meet at Munro Preserve (just west of the Town Wharves) at 8 am each Wednesday morning to pull weeds and do light garden maintenance, while enjoying the sunshine and a cup of coffee. Join us any Wednesday morning, or email us at info@mattlandtrust.org.

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.