The Town of Mattapoisett will be holding a Special Town Meeting on Saturday, October 4 at 1:00 pm. This meeting will be held at Old Rochester Regional High School, 135 Marion Road. Voter check-in will begin at 12:00 pm. Please plan to arrive early to help avoid long lines. The warrant for the Special Town Meeting is posted on the town website. Copies are also available at Town Hall during normal business hours. Please call or email the Town Clerk’s Office with any questions at 508-758-4100 x2.
Sheila Anne Carvalho of Mattapoisett, Massachusetts passed away peacefully on September 19, 2025 at the age of 66, surrounded by the love of family after a courageous battle with cancer.
Born in New Bedford on December 5, 1958, Sheila was the only child of the late William J. and Norma (Almeida) Carvalho. After graduation from New Bedford High School, Sheila pursued her Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Southeastern Massachusetts University (UMass Dartmouth). She then went to graduate school at North Carolina State University, where she received her Master’s degree in Botany.
Upon graduating, Sheila began working at Massachusetts General Hospital as a laboratory technician, during which time she met her future husband, Brian Smith. Sheila had a successful 35-year career in life sciences and healthcare, advancing to become Product Line Manager, Cell Culture Media at both Millipore Corporation and Corning Life Sciences.
In 1989, Sheila and Brian married in Fairhaven, MA. Shortly thereafter they moved to Tewksbury and later Westford, MA to raise a family, which became Sheila’s greatest source of pride and joy. One of their fondest family traditions was an annual trip to Sanibel Island, Florida, where Sheila could often be found in the “Sanibel stoop” while combing the beach for seashells. Sheila was a skilled cook and, in true Portuguese fashion, showed her love of friends and family through incredible homemade meals on holidays and special occasions.
Sheila inherited a great love of animals from her father, which she passed on to her children. Together they adopted many pets including birds, gerbils, and guinea pigs, in addition to her many beloved cats and dogs. She had a sharp sense of humor and was always ready with a clever joke, usually at Brian’s expense. Her love of pop culture gave her the edge in trivia games and the ability to guess the surprise reveals and plot twists of just about any show or movie. Her passion for games and puzzles made for many days and nights of family fun. She was a loyal fan of the New England Patriots and especially Tom Brady, whose wins she continued to celebrate after he departed for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
From seashells on the beach to antiques at a yard sale, Sheila loved the thrill of finding treasures hidden in plain sight. She had a strong sense of design and a love of curating vintage collectibles and ephemera, which she proudly displayed in her historic seaside home in the picturesque village of Mattapoisett. Upon retirement, she used her deep knowledge of vintage treasures to run a business buying and selling antiques.
Sheila was a beautiful, vibrant woman who will be dearly missed.
She is survived by her husband Brian, daughter Rachael Smith and husband Richard Ayoub, Jr. of Wilmington, MA, daughter Lauren Smith of Providence, RI, and many cousins including Claudia Mathews of Newburyport and her companion Mohamed Saadi.
Her visiting hours will be held on Friday, September 26th from 4:00-7:00 pm in the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd. (Rt. 6), Mattapoisett, MA. Her funeral service will be held on Saturday, September 27th at 11:00 am in the funeral home. Burial will follow in Riverside Cemetery, Fairhaven, MA.
In lieu of flowers, you may wish to make a donation in Sheila’s name to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Humane Society & Shelter SouthCoast, or your favorite charity. For directions and guestbook, visit www.saundersdwyer.com.
Robert K. Kirkland, 83, of Mattapoisett died Sunday, September 21, 2025 at Alpine Nursing Home in Coventry, RI, after a period of declining health. He was the husband of the late Barbara M. (Harriman) Kirkland, with whom he shared 34 wonderful and memorable years of marriage.
Born in Natick, MA, son of the late Alexander and Louise (Kelley) Kirkland, he lived in Roslindale and Needham before moving to Mattapoisett where he lived for most of his life.
He was a graduate of Needham High School, Class of 1960.
Bob was formerly employed by NYNEX Corporation for 31 years until his retirement. In retirement, Bob was employed at the Town of Mattapoisett Transfer Station for 11 years.
An active member of the Wareham Lodge of Elks for 55 years, Bob helped with dinners and events at the club. In 1994, he was honored as Elk of the Year.
A well-liked and respected member of the community, Bob enjoyed visiting local bars and restaurants with his wife, Barbara. His warm presence and easy smile will be deeply missed.
He is survived by his sister, Jeanne Kirkland; his brother, Jon Kirkland; his niece, Jessica Lindeman; and his nephew, Donald Kirkland.
He was predeceased by his wife, Barbara; his sister, Elizabeth Segeberg; and his brother, Donald Kirkland.
His Funeral Service will be held on Monday, September 29, 2025 at 11 AM at the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd. (Rt.6), Mattapoisett. Visitation will be Monday from 10-11 AM, prior to the service. Burial will follow in Cushing Cemetery. For directions and guestbook please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.
Newly elected State Representative Mark Sylvia is inviting residents to a community meeting that promises to be both engaging and forward-thinking. The event will take place on Tuesday, October 14, at 6:00 pm at the Mattapoisett Public Library. It will serve as a platform for open dialogue on the issues that matter most to local families, seniors, and workers.
“In many ways, housing is a key indicator of a healthy community,” Sylvia said recently. With a deep commitment to responsible development, Sylvia will share his vision for expanding affordable housing across the South Coast – ensuring that growing families have room to thrive and seniors can age in place with dignity in livable, community-oriented neighborhoods.
But housing is just the beginning.
Representative Sylvia will emphasize the critical importance of prioritizing health care access and affordability. He will openly discuss ways to strengthen the healthcare infrastructure, ensuring it serves everyone more effectively.
Environmental stewardship will be another key theme of the evening. Sylvia is expected to outline his plans to preserve the region’s natural beauty, combat overdevelopment, and confront the impacts of climate change.
Representative Sylvia will champion the local industries that define the region’s identity – from fishing and cranberry growing to tourism.
This is more than a meeting. It’s an invitation to shape the future of the South Coast together on Tuesday, October 14 at 6:00 pm, at the Mattapoisett Public Library, Mattapoisett.
All residents are encouraged to attend, ask questions, and share their perspectives. Representative Sylvia believes that real leadership begins with listening—and this meeting is just the beginning. For more information, contact: lwvsouthcoast.org or Betty DeBenedictis at 617-722-2800 X 7962.
Town Administrator Geoffrey Gorman is pleased to share that the Town of Marion is holding a renaming ceremony at the former Point Road Playground at 11:00 am on Friday, September 26.
The site, now known as Manuel and Felizarda Pina Recreational Park, is located at 983 Point Road, north of Route 6. The park features playground equipment, picnic tables, pickleball courts a basketball court, and tennis courts.
The property was once part of the many acres of land owned by Manuel and Felizarda Pina, who emigrated from Cape Verde in 1905 and later settled in Marion. The couple raised seven sons, six of whom served in World War II. In 1930, the Pinas sold or gifted the land to the Town of Marion, which later built the Point Road School, an elementary school that primarily served Cape Verdean students. The school building closed in the late 1950s and was eventually demolished.
The school may have closed in the late 1950s, but the playground continued to serve the community for decades. In 2014, the Town gave the space a significant refresh, adding new equipment and amenities over the following years. Most recently, in 2024, the site underwent a major transformation that included the addition of four pickleball courts.
That same summer, the Marion Select Board voted to officially rename the park in recognition of the Pina family’s lasting impact on the community and service to the country.
The September 26 ceremony will feature remarks from family members, including great-granddaughter Rhonda Pina-Mendes, as well as representatives from the Town of Marion and the Sippican Historical Society. A U.S. military chaplain, Col. Paul Barnett, Jr., who is also a member of the Wareham Cape Verdean Community, will deliver an opening and closing benediction.
“This is such an honor,” said Pina-Mendes. “I am collecting stories about my great-grandparents and about the school that once stood on the property and will include some of those in my speech.”
She also thanked the Sippican Historical Society for supporting the community’s research into the site’s history and the Pina family’s contributions.
“We look forward to our renaming ceremony for the former Point Road Playground, now known as Manuel and Felizarda Pina Recreational Park,” said Town Administrator Gorman. “This is a recognition of the great contributions that the Pina family made to this community and this country. It is a fitting honor, and it also reflects the Cape Verdean-American history of the neighborhood. This is an amazing community celebration, bringing us all together, and we look forward to seeing everyone enjoying our newly renamed park.”
In a meeting that delayed again the biggest projects on its docket, the Rochester Conservation Commission Tuesday granted a Certificate of Compliance for the Order of Conditions previously issued on the construction of a new single-family home at 907 High Street.
The High Street approval vote came swiftly after Conservation Agent Merilee Kelly reported on her inspection of the site. “It looks like it’s been there a long time,” she said. “It fits there next to the bog.” She noted this was the second High Street housing proposal to come before the Conservation Commission since the large development on that street started its planning process.
The commission then continued again to its next meeting two solar-project hearings, the Notices of Intent for work within wetlands for a ground-mounted solar array in the area of 600 Snipatuit Road and the construction and installation of floating and ground-mounted solar arrays at 53 Dexter Lane, both upon the petitioners’ requests. Both projects were also continued at the commission’s last meeting.
Kelly said shifting regulations regarding solar projects might be the reason the petitioners need these continuances. Regulators, she added, have asked that the Logging Swamp project be split in two because it is currently too large in scope.
In other business, Kelly reported that an assessment of the milfoil (invasive-weed) problem at Snipatuit Pond has been scheduled for September 30. She said Town Administrator Cameron Durant has instructed her to learn whether the contractor, Pond Solutions, would consider inspecting the town’s other ponds as well, Snows, Leonard, and Hathaway. She will pursue this possibility with them, she said.
The next Rochester Conservation Commission meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 7, at 7:00 pm at Town Hall, 1 Constitution Way.
Rochester Conservation Commission
By Michael J. DeCicco
After writing about the dances at Dewey Park, I started to think about how important dances have been to the Rochester community and its residents, especially young people. In the mid to late 1800’s, some of the places where teenagers (I don’t think they called them that back then) could socialize were harvest festivals or “Singing and Spelling Schools” where people gathered in competitions. J. Augusts Johnson says in his memoirs that a brave youth might ask a girl if he “might have the pleasure of seeing her home”, from one of these occasions.
By the 1900’s, dances at places like the Women’s Club and Grange brought young people together, often to participate in square dances. Annie Hartley Gurney kept a diary in her 18th year and in it she makes frequent references to attending dances that were held almost every weekend at one Grange or another. Freetown’s had dances every two weeks and there were frequent dances in Rochester Center and of course, the Rochester Grange hosted square dancing. Annie got to know Ralph Gurney at theses dances and they were married in 1924, 4 years after she started her diary.
Many people wrote in the Rochester Journals about dances. According to Ruth Fuller. “We built the Grange with card parties and dances.” The last line on the postcard that my grandmother sent to her mother at the start of her teaching career here in1914 was that she was just home from a social evening (dance). As a newcomer to town, it’s no doubt how she eventually met her husband to be, Jim Hartley.
Dances sparked romance for other couples. Bob and Harriet Sherman’s began when Bob saw her at a Rochester Grange square dance. He invited her to the Mattapoisett square dances held in the summer at the town wharf. There he taught her all the various steps and turns and that led to 70 years of marriage. The square dances were going strong in the 60’s when I was a mother’s helper in Mattapoisett and took my charges to the wharf to watch the dancers.
I’m sure somewhere there are still square dance groups, but their popularity has diminished over the years. It’s interesting to note thar one part of the Rochester Bicentennial celebration was a square dance demonstration. I wonder if dances continue to be popular in this age of social media. They will always be a good place for actual person to person interaction.
By Connie Eshbach
MAC Theater Presents Proof by David Auburn and directed by Rick Sherburne. The production will be at the MAC’s Anne Braitmayer Webb Theater at 80 Pleasant Street Marion.
Catherine has been dealing with a lot. For four years, she has been the sole caretaker for her father, Robert, a genius mathematician who was dealing with mental wellness. After his death, she’s left wondering if her advanced penchant for mathematics indicates an inclination toward mental illness in herself. This concern is shared by her sister, Claire, who encourages her to leave her family home and live with her in New York. Along the way, Catherine becomes involved with Hal, one of her father’s admirers and former students. Catherine is put in the position of proving that some of the mathematical genius left behind in Robert’s office were actually her own work.
Catherine is played by Emma Peterson, and MAC regular Donn Tyler takes a turn as Robert, Catherine’s father. Oliver Asker returns to the MAC as Hal, and Charlotte Baxter plays Claire. The play is stage-managed by Robert Mahowald, and the technical director is Steve McManus, with Jacob Sherburne as Set Designer.
The show dates are Friday, Saturday and Sunday from October 10 to October 26. Friday and Saturday curtain time is 7:30 pm and the Sunday matinee starts at 2:00 pm. Tickets are $20 MAC members and $23 for nonmembers More information and bookings are at marionartcenter.org/events/proof.
To the Editor;
After living here for over 50 years as a summer resident, I recently moved back here full time.
As I love Mattapoisett, I decided to get involved in the local politics to be sure that everything that is done is best for the community.
I have begun to attend the selectman’s meetings and have been appalled to see how the residents that attend are treated. The chairman in particular has no respect for the attendees. At one point during a remark from the audience, he threatened to close down the meeting as he had the authority to do so.
The vote to have 5 selectmen in the future has been passed by a majority vote and has been ruled by our state government. It is final and the law now.
Those who are resisting the will of the people are causing an unnecessary expense of $3500 for a special town meeting on October 4. There can be no change as a result of this meeting. This money could be better used for other town projects.
It is important to show up at this meeting to exercise your right as a town resident.
Do not be intimidated.
Sandy McGowan
The views expressed in the “Letters to the Editor” column are not necessarily those of The Wanderer, its staff or advertisers. The Wanderer will 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 Wanderer reserves the right to edit, condense and otherwise alter submissions for purposes of clarity and/or spacing considerations. The Wanderer may choose to not run letters that thank businesses, and The Wanderer has the right to edit letters to omit business names. The Wanderer also reserves the right to deny publication of any submitted correspondence. All letters must be typed and submitted directly to: news@wanderer.com.
The Marion Planning Board met on Monday for a continued public hearing on an amendment to the site plan and special permit request for Toll Brothers, Inc.’s work at 78 Wareham Road and further discussion on Marion’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) draft bylaw.
There was short talk on the Toll Brothers’ development, the Wareham Road lot purchased from developer Matthew Zuker in July, and while seeking to continue development, there have been some proposed amendments to the plans. For instance, the new developer still wants the originally approved 48 dwellings, although now all would be single family, rather than containing 12 duplexes as was originally planned by Zuker last year. This public hearing was continued to Monday, October 6, per request from the Toll Brothers.
Discussion quickly moved on to the Planning Board’s discussion and correction of their MS4 bylaw draft. Much of the talk at this revolved around environmental concerns, such as tree removals and water runoff. Chair Andrew Daniel said he wanted to ward against the “disturbance of vegetation” and to focus on a “minimalistic approach” in their landscape plans. This was not only to protect the local flora, Daniel said, but to maximize water absorption into the soil.
For wording, “maintenance and improvement” drew some concerns. This, according to the Planning Board, could be stretched to mean many different things, including tree removal if deemed necessary to maintain power lines or even road widening, both of which would negate water absorption and affect runoff. The board agreed there needs to be definitions for the words within the bylaw, such as to specify what exact maintenance can be done.
Discussion and further examination remain of the draft bylaw. Daniel stated this will continue at the next meeting. He added that Town Counsel completed its review of the bylaw and had sent it back to the town with minor corrections.
For more information on Massachusetts’ MS4 guidelines, you can visit the state’s EPA page at: www.epa.gov/npdes-permits/massachusetts-small-ms4-general-permit. Per the town, for a mapped-out view of Marion’s water and sewer resources, you can visit: stormwater.buzzardsbay.org/newmap.html.
The next meeting of the Marion Planning Board is scheduled for Monday, October 6 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Police Department.
Marion Planning Board
By Sam Bishop