H Squared Advances to Destination Imagination’s Global Finals

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After achieving honors for creativity, teamwork and innovation in regional and state academic tournaments, H Squared has earned the right to compete in Destination Imagination’s Global Finals, the world’s largest celebration of student creativity, to be held May 23-26 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Team members include Old Rochester students Brett Rood, Maggie Farrell, Ben Lafrance, Kelsea Kidney and Patrick O’Neil

H Squared worked on the Fine Arts Challenge “Change of Tune.” To solve the challenge, the team wrote a musical, creating the music and lyrics themselves. In addition, they had to include a Technical Set Change (spinning flowers) and a Spectacle (a flying puppet).

The team came in first at both their Regional Tournament in Dennis Yarmouth on March 10 and the State Tournament held at Worcester Polytech on March 24. At the Regional Tournament, the team received a Renaissance Award for Outstanding Design, Engineering, Execution, and Performance.

In addition to preparing for their Global Competition the team, the team will be fundraising to help offset the $1500 cost per team member. This includes registration fees, travel, and shipping their entire set to Knoxville, TN. The team created a fundraising donation page at You Caring, www.youcaring.com/bloomsvilleglobalstour-1155079, and on May 19from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm, they will hold a Car Wash at the Mattapoisett Firehouse.

Destination Imagination (DI) has had a positive impact on more than two million students who have taken part in its acclaimed academic program. This year, more than 150,000 students have participated in tournaments throughout the U.S., as well as 30 countries, in hopes of earning a spot at the Global Finals competition in May.

H Squared is among the 8,000 students representing more than 1,400 teams that have advanced to participate in Global Finals 2018.

Destination Imagination is a leader in project-based learning opportunities that blend STEM education with the arts and social entrepreneurship. Its academic challenges are student-directed and are designed to teach kids howto think, not whatto think. Teams who participate have the opportunity to present their solutions at regional and state tournaments.

Destination Imagination dedicates itself to enriching the global community by providing opportunities for learners of all ages to explore and discover using the creative process from imagination to innovation.

For more information about Global Finals, visit http://globalfinals.org/.

Rochester Elects Ciaburri for Selectman

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Results are in and Rochester voters elected Paul Ciaburri for Board of Selectmen this Wednesday, April 11, during the annual election.

Ciaburri, Rochester’s emergency preparedness director, beat Finance Committee and ZBA member David Arancio 340 to 296, and will fill the selectmen’s seat vacated by Naida Parker, now former selectman of 15 years.

Parker reveled that night in the fact that her name would never again appear on a Rochester ballot, having also decided this year to forego another run for town clerk next year after serving for 34 years.

Ciaburri and his wife Beverly were visibly pleased with the results. Ciaburri said the campaign was “a great race,” and lauded his opponent for the positive campaign he ran.

“It was a great race. David was a great candidate, he kept it civil,” Ciaburri said, “the way a campaign should be.”

For Planning Board, both incumbents kept their seats for another five years – Ben Bailey and John DeMaggio received 308 and 322 votes respectively. Their opponents, William Milka and David Shaw, received 283 and 271 votes respectively.

Reelected uncontested were: Kirby Gilmore, Town Moderator, 550 votes; Jana Cavanaugh, Board of Assessors, 548 votes; Dale Barrows, Board of Health, 544 votes; Michael Conway, Water Commission, 539 votes; two seats for Library Trustees — Jordan Pouliot (458) and Gloria Vincent (500); Cary Humphrey, ORR School Committee, 510 votes; Jeffrey Eldridge, Tree Warden, 556; Kenneth Ross, Park Commission, 531; two seats for Rochester School Committee – Tina Rood, 476 votes, and Robin Rounseville, 533 votes.

Ben Bailey was elected for for Cemetery Commission as a write-in candidate as there were no candidates listed on the ballot.

By Jean Perry

 

Leaving the School System – What’s Next?

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The Nemasket Group will host a workshop as part of its “A Full Life Ahead” series of free workshops for parents and guardians of individuals with disabilities, sponsored by Massachusetts Families Organizing for Change (MFOFC) in partnership with the Building Futures Project and the Family Connections Center of The Nemasket Group.

The event will be held on Tuesday, April 17from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at The Nemasket Group, 109 Fairhaven Road, Mattapoisett. Please RSVP to Amy Cornell at amycornell@nemasketgroup.org or phone 508-999-4436.

“Leaving the School System – What’s Next?” is a presentation that will provide an overview of the range of services that the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) and the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission provide to individuals after they leave the school system. Ed Wilson and Tracey Daigneau from the Southeast Region of the Department of Developmental Services and Elaine Mello from the New Bedford area office of the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission will share information to assist individuals and families in determining which services might best meet their needs and how they can be arranged.

Speaker Says Art is Essential to Science, Learning

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One man’s efforts to build poignant bridges between the natural world and the world of one’s imagination were on view on April 7 when native son Peter Stone brought his brand of creative intuition and expression to the Marion Art Center.

Hosted by a coalition of local land trusts from Rochester, Marion and Wareham, Stone’s themes of nature, animals, and the relationship between symbols in the natural world and mankind’s creative predisposition were on full display.

The desire to understand and make sense of the world around us in ways that are non-lineal isn’t new, yet this artist has spent his career working towards helping young and old alike do just that through visual arts, through stories, through a deep understanding and appreciation for how children learn.

Stone describes himself as an educator, environmentalist, painter, author, and a mythologist who spent several decades traveling the globe studying everything from decorative arts to ancient social structures. He also kept a focus on the reality that mere mortals profoundly impact the environment in devastating ways.

Before delving into the plight of whales, Stone’s presentation asked the audience to see the geometric symbols that exist in nature, to find the common ground in all cultures throughout time, and then to draw upon those to gain a deeper appreciation for the natural world so dependent on human compassionate conservatorship.

On display were several oil paintings done by Stone whose pieces have been hailed for this “luminous” quality as well as for their interpretative themes of animals in mythological ways. And that ability to transport the viewer from the commonplace to another reality – a mythical setting where it is possible to hear the whales’ opera under the surface of the ocean or see an eight-sided star in celestial bodies – is carried over in his thoughts on education.

Stone is a strong proponent for allowing children to roam the inner-workings of their creative imaginations, to allow all forms of art to flow through science and math skill building.

“You can’t do the science if you don’t have the art piece,” Stone declared.

Stone said, “There is a lot of contemporary neuroscience about how we learn visually and through stories.” He said that today’s educational structure that emphasizes mainly the four aspects of the acronym S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), along with standardized testing, is missing a critical element – Art.

“By cutting out art we have taken away emotion, and children’s ability to tell stories,” said Stone.

As an educator, artist, and mythologist, Stone said, “Art helps us learn.” He emphasized that educational constructs need to employ the “art voice” along with the “science voice.”

“Science without emotion has no story to tell,” believes Stone.

On full display was Stone’s other passion, one he shares with environmentalists around the globe – the plight of whale populations and especially the endangered right whales.

Calling humans “two-leggeds,” Stone discussed the struggle of migrating whales along the eastern seaboard where everything from fishing nets to sonar pollution have nearly brought the whale population down to a low point of no return. He said that today there are approximately 400 right whales. The ‘no-return’ number is 300, he said.

“What’s going on below?” Stone pondered aloud. “We don’t do this well as a culture. We need to take a holistic viewpoint using intuitive senses.” He likened humans to ostriches regarding our ability to ignore threats all around us and to the animals.

On this night, Stone’s strongest message was a simple one, but one he believes is absolutely necessary to human development – art. That by giving children a rich atmosphere filled with artistic avenues of exploration, not only would students thrive, they would excel; and as the stewards of this small blue planet they will inherit one day, children are the key holders to a world where the whales may live in harmony with humankind.

To learn more about Stone’s art and books, you may visit www.petercstonestudioes.com.

By Marilou Newell

Open Table This Friday

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The Open Table crew looks forward to seeing you and serving you a delicious meal this Friday, April 13at the Mattapoisett Congregational Church. The birds are singing and the flowers are blooming; hopefully, spring is just around the corner?! Doors open at 4:30 pm and supper is served at 5:00 pm. Invite a friend or neighbor or someone who lives down the street you don’t even know. There’s nothing like a good meal and fellowship to make the day brighter.

Winifred T. (Francis) Carter

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Winifred T. (Francis) Carter, 93, of New Bedford passed away at the New Bedford Jewish Convalescent Home on April 9, 2018.

Winnie was the wife of the late William J. Carter, Jr., to whom she was married for 68 years.
Born and raised in New Bedford, the daughter of the late William and Mary A. ((Murphy) Francis, she resided in Mattapoisett and Fairhaven for the past 30 years.
Winnie attended Holy Family High School and married shortly after graduation. She became a young and devoted mother of seven children.

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

Winnie was a former member of the Catholic Women’s Club, the Country Club of New Bedford and Little Harbor Golf Club.

Winnie and her husband traveled to Bermuda frequently with friends and family. In their later years, they were able to cruise around the world with their dear friend, David Barber.

Her kindness towards others and love of family was evident in the way she lived her life. Many friends admired her for her helpful and giving spirit. She will always be remembered by everyone who knew her.

Survivors include three sons, William J. Carter, III and Paul Carter, both of New Bedford, Stephen Carter and his wife Kathy of South Dartmouth; three daughters, Karen Halloran of New Bedford, Janice Hollis and her husband Dudley of Bermuda and Christine Mello and her husband Wayne of Fairhaven; twelve grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

She was the mother of the late Kelly A. Carter and the sister of the late Mary Flanagan, William Francis and Richard Francis.

Her Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Friday at 11 AM in St. Anthony’s Church. Her family will receive guests at church from 10:15-11 AM prior to her Mass. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the Community Nurse and Hospice Care, P.O. Box 751, Fairhaven, MA 02719 or the New Bedford Jewish Convalescent Home, 200 Hawthorn St., New Bedford, MA 02740. Arrangements are with the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home For Funerals, 50 County Rd. (Rt. 6), Mattapoisett. For online guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

Harbormaster Tells Of Storm Damage

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It should come as no surprise that Mattapoisett’s treasured and historic wharves suffered during the 2017-2018 storm season. Mattapoisett Harbormaster Jill Simmons shared highlights of the damage inflicted by storms during her presentation to the Mattapoisett Finance Committee on March 28.

Going back, Simmons says an early seasonal storm moved the ramp at Barstow wharf adjacent to the town beach, pushing it onto the fireboat tied up at the floating dock. Thankfully, there was no serious damage to the boat, said Simmons.

Then another storm on October 29, later reclassified as a hurricane, “…caused very significant damage to private boats and town property.” She reported that three floating dock ramps were damaged, with one being completely destroyed. Also, many dinghy docks need repairing or rebuilding along with the floating dock at Barstow that was ripped apart. Simmons said that same storm caused three groundings.

As Simmons moved the discussion to “present needs,” she said the dinghy dock system is “…woefully inadequate for the number of boats in the harbor.” She said, with approximately 1,000 moorings placed in the inner harbor, there was only space for 70 dinghies. A plan to add dingy space to the Barstow wharf area is currently under review, she said, but with evidence of new eelgrass beds, more study was necessary.

Adding to the difficulties boaters face, Simmons said launch services were insufficient due to long wait times and that launch service shuts down when Mattapoisett Boat Yard closes for the season, yet the season extended well into September.

Of work needed on the wharves themselves, Simmons said repair and replacement of pilings on the timber pier and Long Wharf was imperative.

The harbormaster boat sustained major damage during one of the storms, Simmons said, with repairs estimated at $2,000. She then repeated a position she has held for some time: the harbormaster boat is not the right type of craft for the job.

Calling it a “recreational” boat, she said it wasn’t suitable for public safety activities, noting that it takes three onboard personnel to pull in one petite-sized person in the event of a water rescue or recovery. She said she was currently researching decommissioned military and government watercraft.

Simmons also said the department would greatly benefit from a shallow draft craft that would allow greater flexibility for work inshore due to ease of maneuvering around the mooring field and coves.

Of the budget itself, Simmons presented a worksheet showing an increase of $28,722 over fiscal year 2018 – from $230,000 to $258,722.

Also coming before the Finance Committee was John DeCosta, chairman of the Community Preservation Act committee.

The committee has received three grant requests. The first is from the Town of Mattapoisett for repairs to the building located at the former Holy Ghost grounds on Park Street in the sum of $174,000.

Next, Freemin Bauer submitted a request for $75,000 for a new dog park to be located on land adjacent to the police station for $75,000.

Lastly, the VFW Florence Eastman Post requested $10,000 to study the current structural integrity of the historic Legion Hall.

Funding of the CPA program currently stands at $193,615, DeCosta said, including anticipated level funding from the state for $28,257. The grants will be voted on during the Annual Town Meeting should they be advanced to the warrant, DeCosta said.

Also during the meeting, Town Clerk Catherine Heuberger discussed the need to finance poll workers versus a combination of senior tax work-off staffing and paid staffing. The budget impact would be an increase to the department’s FY19 of $3,000. Heuberger also requested a 2% pay increase for her position, from $59,000 to $60,180.

On a humorous note, Heuberger presented a punctured and severely damaged dog tag saying that a resident had brought it in to show her the poor quality of the tags. The committee members chuckled when Heuberger said that a “puppy” had done the damage, causing Town Administrator Michael Gagne to say, “I wouldn’t want to see that puppy!”

Heuberger’s FY18 budget was $150,666 with a proposed $3,717 increase for FY19, bringing the department budget to $154,383.

The Mattapoisett Finance Committee’s next meeting was held on April 4 at 6:30 pm in the town hall conference room.

(Disclosure: Marilou Newell is a member of the Community Preservation Act committee representing the Mattapoisett Historical Commission.)

Mattapoisett Finance Committee

By Marilou Newell

 

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. Because of 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 14 Main Street.

Built in 1760, the Cape Cod cottage at 14 Main Street was built for the Bates family. Behind this house is a small one-room schoolhouse where Elizabeth Pitcher Taber taught before her marriage in 1823. At one time, Miss Roberta Bates and her sister, Nancy Bates Crowell, kept a calico and notions shop in part of this house. At the turn of the century, noted artist and magazine illustrator Charles Dana Gibson lived here. He was the creator of the famous Gibson Girl, which helped to define female fashion in the 1890s. Charles Dana Gibson was a member of the wedding party of the famous war correspondent Richard Harding Davis and Cecil Clark at St. Gabriel’s Church in May 1899. Ethel Barrymore was also in the wedding party as the maid of honor.

Earth Day Trash Bash

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Marion is having a Scout-led Spring Town Clean Up on Saturday, April 28. Streets will be cleaned and closets cleared as the Marion Cub Scouts Pack 32 and Marion Boy Scouts Troop 32 join forces with GiftstoGive, the Marion Recreation Department, Tabor Academy, and Marion Department of Public Works for a spring cleaning! Please join us when we rally at Washburn Park on Saturday, April 28 from 8:30 – 11:00 am. (Rain date is April 29 at the same time.) Participants will be given trash bags, recycling bags, gloves and be provided with a yellow vest. Assignments will be handed out and participants will clear the trash and other debris left from winter and the four’easters’ wake.

In addition to cleaning up our streets, cleaning out our closets will also be on the agenda as the GiftstoGive truck will be at Washburn Park from 8:30 – 11:00 am, collecting new and gently used children’s items. Please see their website for details about items they accept: www.giftstogive.org.

Litter collected will be returned to Washburn Park to create a trash mountain, a visual testament to not only the stunning amount of litter left on town roadways but also to the amazing efforts of caring community members.

Nemasket Group 5K Walk/Run

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The Nemasket Group 5K Walk/Run will be held on Saturday, May 5. The race begins and ends at Fort Phoenix, Fairhaven, MA. Dust off your sneakers and join us for a morning of fun as we wind through Fairhaven for a great cause. Coming together as a community and making new friends while raising awareness for individuals with disabilities is a sure win for all. The first 125 registrants will receive a T-shirt. Registration begins at 8:00 am and the race starts at 9:00 am. For more information and to register for this event, please go to www.NemasketGroup.org or call 508-999-4436. We look forward to seeing you at the event.