ORRHS Ranks Gold

on

Superintendent Michael S. Nelson and Old Rochester Regional High School (ORRHS) Principal Michael Devoll are pleased to announce that the school has ranked Gold on CollegeBoard’s 2024 AP School Honor Roll.

            The AP School Honor Roll recognizes schools whose AP programs have successfully motivated and prepared students for college success. The criteria reflect a commitment to increasing college-going culture, providing opportunities for students to earn college credit, and maximize college readiness.

            College Board’s Advanced Placement® Program (AP) enables students to pursue college-level studies—with the opportunity to earn college credit, advanced placement, or both—while still in high school. Through AP courses in 38 subjects, each culminating in a challenging exam, students learn to think critically, construct solid arguments, and see many sides of an issue—skills that prepare them for college and beyond.

            “We are incredibly proud to be named to the College Board Gold AP Honor Roll,” said Director of Academic Counseling and Assessment Lauren Millette. “This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our students and teachers who strive for excellence every day. It reflects our commitment to providing rigorous academic opportunities that prepare students for success beyond high school.”

            There are four levels of distinction: Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum. Last year, 9% of the 15,150 eligible schools received the Silver level recognition, ORRHS being part of this group. Additionally, only 6% of eligible schools received the Gold honor.

            For a school to be recognized on the AP School Honor Roll in a given year, it must meet the following criteria:

            College Culture: 40% or more of the graduating cohort took at least 1 AP Exam during high school.

            College Credit: 25% or more of the graduating cohort scored a three or higher on at least one AP Exam during high school.

            College Optimization: 2% or more of the graduating cohort took five or more AP Exams during high school. At least one of those exams was taken in 9th or 10th grade so that students are spreading their AP experience across grades rather than feeling disproportionate pressure in any single year.

            “It is an honor to receive this recognition,” said Superintendent Nelson. “Our committed students and faculty successfully advanced ORRHS to the Gold ranking and it’s reflected in the excellent work they do each day. Our district takes college and career readiness very seriously and this achievement is proof of our commitment.”

Rochester Tax Reassessments and Police Funding

on

            Rochester’s Select Board Monday approved the Board of Assessors’ recommendations for the town’s FY25 tax classification that include a reduction in the tax rate for the next fiscal year to $10.82 per thousand dollars of value.

            Rochester’s estimated tax rate for FY24 was $11.06, down 6.82% from FY23. Assessor Jana Cavanaugh told the board Monday the tax rate being recommended for FY25 is a 21.7% decrease from that.

            The select board followed the Board of Assessors’ recommendation to keep a factor of one tax rate for FY25, meaning that residential and commercial/industrial property will not be taxed at a higher rate. Secondly, the board agreed with the assessors to vote “no” on offering open space, residential, and small commercial exemptions. Cavanaugh explained residential exemptions are for communities with a high percentage of non-owner-occupied units. Small commercial exemptions are for communities with a high commercial presence, which Rochester does not have.

            The town’s total valuation of its real estate and personal property, Cavanaugh said, is $1,578,360,510, a 96.4% valuation increase. She said the average Single-Family-Home assessment for FY25 is $610,247. The average single-family tax bill therefore will be $6,602.87, a 2.25 % increase over FY24.

            Next, the board appointed two new full-time Rochester Police officers, Zachary Dupere and Jonathan Domagala. Police Lieutenant Don Kemmett introduced Domagala as a former policeman in Seekonk and Dupere as a former K-9 officer with experience in computer work. Assad said that is a skill the department needs right now. “These are two really great candidates,” Kemmett said.

            In other action, the board approved a request of $3,500 in town ARPA funds to ASAP Engineering for police station detention jail cell area design services.

            The board approved the purchase of one AED unit for the library for $2,546.18, using $1,183.89 from town ARPA funds and $1,362.29 from SEMASS donation funds. The board also approved purchasing three AED units totaling $7.638.54, one for the Council On Aging and two for the Police Department. For this expense, $6.015.56 will come from County ARPA funds and $1.622.98 will come from SEMASS donation funds.

            Tabled, however, was a request of $8,152 for ARPA funds for a Rochester Police Department drone. Board chair Brad Morse requested holding this request because he wanted to hear more from the police chief about this expense.

            These votes came even after Town administrator Cameron Durant informed the board that these expenses would max out the town’s ARPA funds for the year.

            The board also appointed Sandra Keese to the Mattapoisett River Valley Water District Commission for a term to expire April 30, 2027.

            The next meeting of the Rochester Select Board is scheduled for Monday, October 21, at 6 p.m. in the Town Hall conference room, 1 Constitution Way.

Rochester Select Board

By Michael J. DeCicco

Upcoming Events at the Elizabeth Taber Library

on

Join Miss Macy for story times every Tuesday and Thursday at 10:30 am, starting in October.

            Join us at the library for Ghosts and Legends with Jeff Belanger, Friday, October 11 at 6:30 pm. For over 20 years, Jeff Belanger has been exploring the unexplained. He seeks out history, folklore, ghosts, monsters, and legends all over the world and in your backyard. His talk presents highlights from his own adventures, a look at the investigation process, and compelling audio and visual paranormal evidence. Not just focused on ghost stories, Belanger’s presentation will delve into the reasons behind the legends. Call the library to register for this free event.

            The Banned Book Club returns to discuss the widely censored horror story The Picture of Dorian Gray on Tuesday October 15 at 6:30 pm. Eat, drink, and discuss Oscar Wilde’s classic gothic novel and the terrors of censorship. Copies of this month’s title are available at the library’s circulation desk.

            Halloweekend events at the Elizabeth Taber Library are happening from Thursday, October 24 to Saturday, October 26. Check out a pumpkin with your library card all month long (while Supplies last). Return your decorated pumpkin by Wednesday, October 23rd to be entered into our Great Pumpkin Contest. Vote for your favorites during our Halloweekend celebration activities. Are you brave enough to explore the library’s first ever mini haunted library? What ghouls will you meet as you wind your way through our haunted stacks? Visit Thursday- Saturday to find out.

            Make some Halloween Boba after school, for ages 9+ Thursday, October 24 from 3:00-4:00 pm, then join us for costume karaoke starting at 6pm for food, fun, and music for all ages.

            Make Halloween decorations that light up at Pumpkin Paper circuits with Miss Macy, Friday, October 25 from 3:00 to 4:00 pm for ages 5-9

            Play at our Boo Bash Games event Saturday, October 26 from 11:00 am-12:00 pm for a Halloween Scavenger Hunt, spooky sensory bags, mummy races and more. At 1:00 pm join us for adult crafts with Emily to make Fall Book Centerpieces. This craft project is recommended for ages 12 and up.

            Support the library by enjoying a delicious dinner and lively book discussion at a Marion neighbor’s home at Tables of Content, a fundraising event for the Elizabeth Taber Library – Sunday, October 20 & Friday, October 25. Go to the library’s website to register, select your book choices and date, get your book assignment & start reading, receive your dinner location and enjoy your evening. Tickets are $75 per person; all proceeds benefit the library. Learn more and view title options by visiting our website.

            For more information on the Elizabeth Taber Library visit us at www.ElizabethTaberLibrary.org or call us at 508-748-1252

Town of Marion Select Board Chair Receives Distinguished Service Award

on

Town Administrator Geoffrey Gorman is pleased to share that Marion Select Board Chair Norm Hills was awarded the Distinguished Service Award by the Southeastern Regional Planning & Economic Development District (SRPEDD) at the SRPEDD Annual Meeting on September 25. Hills serves as Marion’s Commissioner to the SRPEDD.

            The Distinguished Service Award is given to a present or former commissioner for leadership and outstanding service to SRPEDD in recognition of a range of contributions.

            Nominated by fellow SRPEDD Commissioners, Hills was called to the Venus de Milo restaurant podium in Swansea and presented the award by Executive Director Jeffrey Walker.

            “This award recognizes your able and longstanding leadership on behalf of the community, as a valued Planning and Select Board Member and equally dedicated SRPEDD Commissioner, as current Treasurer and Member of the Finance and Personnel Committees, your prior service as Secretary, and other noteworthy contributions on myriad other agency committees and initiatives,” Walker said at the Annual Meeting.

            “We are truly the beneficiaries of your experience and commitment to Southeast Massachusetts, and it is with heartfelt gratitude that we present you with the Distinguished Service Award.”

            The SRPEDD Commission Award has been awarded to exemplary Commissioners since 1977.

            Hills has been on the SRPEDD Commission since 2017 and serves on both the Finance and Personnel Committees, as well as being the Treasurer. He formerly served as the SRPEDD Secretary.

Carl A. Macedo

on

Carl A. Macedo, 77, of Rochester passed away Thursday, October 3, 2024 surrounded by his loving family at Charlton Memorial Hospital following a lengthy battle with cancer. He was the beloved husband of Barbara J. (Duclos) Macedo with whom he shared 59 years of marriage and son of the late John and Lillian (Spindler) Macedo.

            Born in Acushnet, he resided in New Bedford for 21 years and in Dartmouth for several years before relocating to Rochester 35 years ago.

            Mr. Macedo was employed as a truck driver for Jack Brassells, Inc. and Medeiros & Sons Construction both located in Dartmouth and also for G. Bourne Knowles in Fairhaven until his retirement. Tending his vegetable garden was a favorite pastime, especially during his retirement years.

            In addition to his wife, he is survived by his son, Mark A. Macedo and his companion, Susan Frates of New Bedford; his brother, John Macedo of Enfield, New Hampshire and several nieces and nephews.

            Mr. Macedo was predeceased by his infant son, Scott A. Macedo, his brother, Richard Macedo and his sister-in-law, Elaine “Penny” Macedo.

            In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to Southcoast Cancer Center, 206 Mill Road, Fairhaven, MA 02719 or you may donate online at southcoast.org/services/cancer-care and click on Giving at the top of the page.

            Funeral arrangements have been committed to the care of Aubertine-Lopes Funeral Home, 129 Allen St., New Bedford. www.aubertine-lopes.com

Donald Wilson Wheeler

on

Donald Wilson Wheeler passed away on October 3, 2024, at the age of 89. He was the son of the late Clifford Wheeler and Bertha Stevens Wheeler.

            Don attended Norwood High School and Springfield College. He married the love of his life, Mary-Jane (MJ) Carpenter, in 1962. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps for three years, Don began his career as a teacher in the Norwood school system, where he taught junior high and high school classes for 33 years. He was Head Coach of the Norwood High hockey team for nearly two decades, bringing home eight Bay State League titles. He received multiple commendations from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for his contributions to the sport as well as being named to the MA State Hockey Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

            An avid sailor, Don was a member of the Beverly Yacht Club for 40 years. He loved watching movies and listening to jazz and big band music.

            Don is survived by his wife MJ of Marion and daughter Danalynne Menegus and her husband Kevin, of Pinole, CA.

            Visitation will be held on Tuesday, October 22 from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm at Chapman Funerals & Cremations, 2599 Cranberry Hwy, Wareham. Interment will follow at 2:00 pm at the Massachusetts National Cemetery, Connery Ave., Bourne.

            Donations in Don’s memory can be made to the charity created in 2018 in remembrance of Don and MJ’s great-niece: Maddie Lamson Scholarship Fund c/o Medway High School, 88 Summer St., Medway, MA 02053.

Small Works & Holiday Shop 2024

on

The Marion Art Center announces a call for entries for its final exhibition of the 2024 season, Small Works + Holiday Shop. The show runs November 9 through December 20, with an opening reception scheduled for Saturday, November 9 from 3:00-5:00 pm.

            This annual juried/invitational show features original works of art, all under fourteen inches, plus a curated selection of handmade goods including jewelry, textiles, ceramics, woodworks, gifts, and more. Any artist who has previously shown at Arts in the Park, or any other juried MAC exhibition (this excludes members’ shows) is invited to participate and does not need to apply or be approved by the exhibitions committee.

            To see all show details and apply to Small Works + Holiday Shop, use the form found at www.marionartcenter.org/on-exhibit. All applications are due by Wednesday, October 23. Artists will be notified by the end of October if they are accepted, and early applications are strongly encouraged. Drop-off dates are scheduled on Saturday, November 2 from 10 am-2 pm and Tuesday, November 5 from 10-3 pm. Please send questions to info@marionartcenter.org.

From the Files of the Rochester Historical Society

on

When you look through the exhibit at our forms of musical entertainment through the years, you see that people became more and more interested in having machines to make music at home. This desire coincided with the eras of the Industrial Revolution, when inventors everywhere were bringing ideas to life. Some of these early inventions never made it off the drawing board while others took hold and improved over time.

            In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, the record player and radio began their evolutionary journey. While people found these inventions interesting, many found the quality of the music to be uneven and less than enjoyable.

            Enter the Player Piano in 1896. Edwin S. Votey invented the first practical pneumatic player pianos, also called “pianolas”. These pianos were acoustic and originally cost $250.00.

            The player piano was operated by foot. Pressing down caused the bellows to provide a vacuum which then operated the pneumatic motor which drove the spools. The spools were made of paper and were the “music rolls” for the piano.

            To make the spools, music was laid out on continuous sheets of paper by stenciling. Holes were made by a punch or perforating machine. The paper was then rolled up to a size that fit into the piano’s player box. The free end was hooked to a “take up spool”. As these spools unwound, it would pass across a reading machine which was called a “tracker box” and this would create the music.

            Once the pneumatic motor drove the spool, a small in rush of air was forced through a hole in the paper roll and amplified in two stages to have enough strength to strike a note. The sound was then produced by hammers inside the piano striking piano strings.

            By 1903, companies were doing big business making the music rolls. At least one company had a catalogue of more than 9000 rolls.

            Over time, record players produced a clearer, truer sound and moved to two-sided discs and they cut into the popularity of the player piano. While many early record players were a fairly large piece of furniture, they took up much less room than a player piano. The end of the player piano came with the Stock Market Crash of 1929 which put an end to the industry.

            We don’t have a player piano (though we would like one), but we do have a pump and quite a few music rolls from the COA, some of which are shown here. We shared some of the rolls with the Middleboro Historical Museum (they have a piano). The ones we kept cover military, holiday and show tunes.

            Thanks to Sue LaFleur for the research that supported this article.

By Connie Eshbach

Tri-County Symphonic Band 63rd Concert Season

on

The Tri-County Symphonic Band, under the direction of Philip Sanborn, unveils its 63rd concert season. From a poignantly powerful opening concert to a cartoon spectacular under the tent, this season invites everyone to share in the excitement generated by the very best symphonic band music ever written.

            Sunday, October 27, 3:00 pm: The opening concert, “A European Adventure” combines some very new music written by Cape Cod composer Thomas Borning with some venerable works that form the basis of the symphonic band repertoire. Borning’s “Lift Off” was commissioned by the Tri-County Symphonic Band and will have its World Premiere at this concert. Karel Husa’s masterpiece “Music for Prague 1968” follows as the band experiences the profound sonic portrayal of an historic moment in the challenging political landscape of Eastern Europe. Norman Dello Joio’s “Scenes from the Louvre” delights with a Renaissance slant. An explosive opus of Frank Ticheli’s is next with dynamic bursts of musical thrills and excitement entitled “Vesuvius.” The concert concludes with an arrangement of Chick Corea’s “Spain” featuring tenor saxophonist Andrew Ponte.

            Sunday, December 8, 1:30 pm: The Annual Children’s Christmas Concert will take place at the Sippican School in Marion as everyone is very much looking forward to continuing the long-established tradition. A special treat is a performance by the Sippican School Concert Choir. This concert celebrates the holiday season and is free admission for all, our gift to the community.

            Sunday, February 2, 3:00 pm: The February concert this season is a tribute to the John Philip Sousa Band of the early 1900’s. Sousa’s band was a touring phenomenon of the era and always included a variety of music, marches and a soloist. This concert, entitled “A Sousa Spectacular” will feature works by Aaron Copland, Andrew Boysen, George Gershwin, Jean Sibelius and, of course, John Philip Sousa. Tuba soloist Reece Ashley will perform the Tuba Concerto by Edward Gregson.

            Sunday, March 16, 3:00 pm: The history of jazz will be the focus of the band’s March offering. The program called “Jazz Through the Decades” will highlight some of the most important composers with symphonic band arrangements of works that guide us through the various styles of jazz over the years. Clarinetist Charlie Suriyakham will perform Ante Ggrin’s Concertino for Clarinet. Also, pianist/arranger Matt Richard will lead his jazz trio with a suite that he has adapted for trio and symphonic band.

            Sunday, June 8, 2:00pm: Once again, the band will be under the Grand Tent at Tabor Academy for the Annual Pops Concert to benefit the John R. Pandolfi Music Scholarship Fund. This year’s concert will be all about animation as we shine the spotlight on the music from such “drawn” classics as “Fantasia”, “The Prince of Egypt”, “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Incredibles”, to name a few. The band will also collaborate with the South Coast Children’s Chorus to add their abundant talents to our homage to the program entitled “An Animated Afternoon.”

            The 2024-2025 concert season, the Tri-County Symphonic Band’s sixty-third, is testament to the organization’s commitment to bring quality live music to the community. For more information, visit: tricountysymphonicband.org.

Radon and How to Minimize Its Impact

on

            It’s colorless, odorless and tasteless, but radon is far from being harmless. It rises up from far beneath the earth’s surface, thus making it a naturally occurring element swirling around in the atmosphere, causing serious illnesses to the unsuspecting.

            On September 25, Mattapoisett Public Health Nurse Emily Field hosted Jen Lajoie, an environmental analyst with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Bureau of Climate and Environmental Health Indoor Air Quality program. Lajoie’s mission is educating the public on the dangers associated with radon emissions in private homes and steps that can be taken to minimize its impact.

            In literature distributed by Lajoie and in her presentation, we learned that both old and new homes can have high-radon readings, most prevalently in homes built on ledge or sandy soils. Radon’s entrance into homes commonly occurs from basement spaces but can also include floor-wall joints, sump pits, utility-line penetrations, dirt floors, crawl spaces, block-wall foundations, and cracks and crevices in floors and walls.

            The state’s published details go on to say, “…radon concentrations tend to be highest in the lowest levels of a home. Since indoor air represents the largest exposure to radon…,” testing should be conducted to determine if radon is at critical levels.

             And there is more concerning news, as private wells is another pathway for the chemical to enter the home.

            To help residents of the commonwealth, the state is offering free test kits while supplies last, Lajoie said.

            But just how does radon enter the environment?

            Lajoie explained that underground stores of uranium go through radioactive transformation (radium decay). Radon gases are produced and released from the ground up.

            The Massachusetts Department of Public Health reports that 21,000 radon-related deaths occur annually but are preventable. The state building code mandates the installation of radon testing equipment and systems in new home construction.

            Mattapoisett Building Inspector Andy Bobola said in a follow-up, “… it makes sense especially in new construction (a time when it’s easier to install remediation equipment that will draw radon gases away from the home) or if major renovations are taking place; however, there aren’t any mandated requirements for protection for existing homes.”

            Lajoie said that the Environmental Protection Agency estimates 628 radon-related lung cancers occur annually in Massachusetts with as many as 650,000 homes having radon levels that exceed action guidelines.

            It begs the question, “can my home be fixed?” The short answer is yes.

            The DPH literature states that a method called “active soil depressurization” is used to lower radon levels. A zone of low pressure below the house’s slab reduces the rate of radon entering a home. There are established, safe radon levels; those are 2 to 4 pCil/L.

            The DPH has a Radon Assessment Unit that can provide individual guidance. To receive a free radon test kit, call 800-723-6695 or visit DPHIAQ.radon@mass.gov.

Mattapoisett Board of Health

By Marilou Newell