ORRHS Term 3 Honor Roll

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The following students have achieved honors for the third term at Old Rochester Regional High School:

            Highest Honors, Grade 9:Signe Gierhart, Edward Gonet, John Kassabian, Amaya McLeod, Victoria Perry, Marc Pothier, Emma Thorell, Autumn Tilley, Allison Ward, Cameran Weaver, Klara Whalley. Grade 10:Stephen Arne, Benjamin Austin, Curtis Briggi, Shelby Carmichael, Alexander Craig, Mariana Ditata, Rachael Fantoni, Sydney Feeney, Abigail Forcier, Rachel Foye, Maeve Geraghty, Meghan Horan, Stefan Hulsebosch, Molly Janicki, Jillian Langlais, Madisyn Leavitt, Katelyn Luong, Abigail McFadyen, Rebecca Milde, Christian Noble Shriver, Evan O’Brien-Nichols, Serena O’Connell, Faith Oliver, Jonathan Pereira, Bessie Pierre, Daphne Poirier, Evan Smith, Paige Sommers, Kathleen Tenerowicz, Jessica Vance, Emma Vivino, Emma Williamson. Grade 11:Cole Ashley, Michelina Ditata, Lilah Gendreau, Ian McCann, Ella McIntire, Allison Paim, Rachel Perry, Mackenzie Riley. Grade 12:Julia Cabral, Sophia Clingman, Marisa Cofone, Genevieve Grignetti, Madeline Hartley, Abigail Lacock, Nolan LaRochelle, Michaela Mattson, Samantha Nicolosi, Elisa Normand, Avery O’Brien-Nichols, Lauren Pina, Meghan Rebello, Janey Rego, Aidan Ridings, Ansley Rivera, Delaney Soucy, Taylor Swoish.

            High Honors, Grade 9:Amanda Armanetti, Isabella Correia, Matthew Curry, Emily DellaCioppa, Anna Dube, Isabel Friedrichs, Colby Gross, Mia Hemphill, Faith Humphrey, Isabella Hunt, Isabella Hunter, Jake Louden, Isabelle McCarthy, Ethan McElroy, Katherine Nilson, Maria Psichopaidas, Stephen Sauerbrey, Mackenzie Wilson. Grade 10:Isaiah Andrade, Emma Carroll, Davis Fox, Prosser Friedman, Isabelle Kelly, Brianna Machado, Aidan Milton, Lindsey O’Donnell, Quintin Palmer, Rachel Pina, Leah Scott, Kennedy Serpa, Reily Veilleux, Sophie Vigeant, Elizabeth Wiggin, Samantha Winters, Paige Zutaut, Rachel Zutaut. Grade 11:Gabrielle Bold, Tova Brickley, Dante Cusolito, Alanna Fitzpatrick, Emma Gabriel, Grace Greany, Nicholas Johnson, Noah Maxwell, Megan Nolan, Cecilia Prefontaine, Aiden Woods. Grade 12:Elsie Buckley, Nicole Fantoni, Ian Friedrichs, Kristina Hopkins, Abigail Horan, Kelsea Kidney, Victoria Kvilhaug, Rosemary Loer, Claire Noble Shriver, Kevin Ovian, Harrison Riley, Jonathan Riley, Brett Rood, Timothy Saunders, Ashley Soares.

            Honors, Grade 9:Jasmine Andrade, Jared Asiaf, William Baltz, Nathaniel Bangs, Claudie Bellanger, Erin Besancon, Brendan Burke, Sally Butler, Palmer Clingman, Evan Correia, Erin Craig, Quinn Davignon, Caleb DeVoe, Christopher Feeney, Jillian Ferreira, Hannah Furtado, Jenna Gamache, Keira Gleasure, Taylor Green, Ava Hall, Lila Hall, Mia Hall, Brooke Hammond, Aiden Harrington, Isabella Hedges, Lauren Higgins, Lauryn Lent, Sean Lund, Jamie MacKenzie, Harley MacMullen, Sofia Martins, Drew Mastovsky, Cole Meehan, Spencer Merolla, Lukas Michaelis, Steven Morrell, Elijah Motta, Emily Murphy, Olivia Mydlack, Maggie Nailor, Tavish Nunes, Ethan Perez-Dormitzer, Caitlyn Plummer, Benjamin Preece-Santos, Zachary Proffit, Charles Richards, Natalya Rivera, Chase Ryan, Robert Salit, Julia Sheridan, Desmond Sinnott, Callie Tavares, Gabrielle Theodore, Michael Tobin, Maxwell Tucker, Angelina Vaughan, Maxwell Vivino, Jennifer Williams, Madeline Wright, Emma Wyman, Nathan Yurof, Joseph Ziino. Grade 10: Taylor Amaral, Novalye Arruda, Maya Blouin, Marisa Braga, Isabella Carrillo, Margaret Carroll, Steven Carvalho, Mia Costa, Andrew Coucci, Sebastian Domal, Carly Drew, Jordan Duarte, Meaghan Dufresne, Joseph Dumas, Lindsy Durgin, Katherine Dwyer, Austin Fleming, Charles Hartley-Matteson, Lindsay Holick, Mia Hurley, Jacob Jensen, Sean Lally, Sierra Lanzoni, William Lecuyer, Eva Angeline McCann, Grace McCarthy, Luke Millette, Jason Motta, Samuel Noblet, Tucker Nugent, Caroline Owens, Raegan Rapoza, Eren Salta, Sophia Sousa, Jacob Spark, William Stark, Mason Tucker, Kayli Vieira, Tyler Wadman, Ryan Wilson. Grade 11:Felicia Aguiar, Erika Albert, Colby Alves, Jacqueline Barrett, Kate Beaulieu, Sarah Besancon, Peyton Blood, Jonathan Borsari, Camden Brezinski, Mary Butler, Jack Cadden, Charlotte Cole, Lucas Costa, Jackson Cote, Thomas Coucci, Tucker Guard, Hunter Hanks, Ruth Harris, Ryu Huynh-Aoyama, Patrick Igoe, Gabriel Jacobsen, Zoe Kelley, Kate Marsden, Stephen Marston, Alexa McLeod, John Meehan, Elise Mello, Aidan Michaud, Alexandra Moniz, Noah Motta, Luke Mullen, Natalie Nilson, Danielle Nutter, Lauryn Pallatroni, Ryan Peters, Mason Pina, Hannah Pires, Nathan Przybyszewski, Alyssa Quaintance, Amanda Rapoza, Dillon Romig, Alexi Smead, Nicholas Snow, Hannah Stallings, Sofia Sudofsky, Victoria Sullivan, Eric Tippins, Aiden Tremblay, Hadley Walsh, Emily Wilson, Kyah Woodland. Grade 12:Gabriella Amato, Maggie Arruda, Danya Bichsel, Zoe Bilodeau, Matthew Brogioli, Tyler Bungert, Sara Campopiano, Brielle Correia, Noah Cunningham, Maya Doonan, Alexandra Fluegel, Adrian Gleasure, Pavanne Gleiman, Chandler Goulart, Lily Govoni, Sydney Green, John Harrison Burke, Daniel Hartley, Mariana Hebert, Alex Henrie, Jordan Hoeg-Chick, Amelia Isabelle, Hanbyul Kang, Holden King, Logan King, Tyler Kulak, Jillian Kutash, Elsie Perry, Chelsea Peterson, Lily Poirier, Ana Poulin, Maria Ramsay, Leah Reed, Alexandria Sheehan, Sarah Sollauer, Lauren Surprenant, Robert Sylvester, Adam Sylvia, Gates Tenerowicz, Nicholas Thayer, Amber Tieu, Madison Welter, Mariyah Wright, Lily Youngberg, Lauren Ziino.

Reading and Writing Programs at MPL

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Some children love to read and write – and so do we! We’ve created some wonderful, fun programs just for older children who love to read and write at the Mattapoisett Public Library. 

            Starting Wednesday, June 26at 3:00 pm, join us for our Imagination Nation Writer’s Workshop. If you are 8-12 years old with an ability to visualize what the future will bring, this is the place for you. Bring your imagination, we will provide pencils and paper, and be prepared to create science fiction stories that are out of this world! There are three additional sessions of this program on July 3, 17, and 24 and participants are encouraged to come to as many as possible.

            Starting on Tuesday, July 9at 1:00 pm our “Out of this World” Book Club begins for children ages 7 to 10. The first session will be an introduction to the book “Galaxy Zack: Hello, Nebulon”. Then participants will watch a cartoon about The Jetsons. Tuesday, July 23readers will watch a second cartoon about The Jetsons and discuss the book, focusing on how the futuristic worlds of this and the cartoons are the same and different. Finally, on July 30we’ll create pictures or 3D models of your space home or vehicle to share.

            Also starting Tuesday, July 9at 3:00 pm is our Sci-Fi Graphic Novel Book Club. In our first Sci-Fi Graphic Novel Club, we will be discussing “Zita the Spacegirl” by Ben Hatke and her epic space adventures to save her friends. Recommended for children ages 7 and up. There will be snacks and a craft.

            The next session is on July 23with Nathan Hale’s “One Trick Pony”, where strange creatures have a hunger for technology. Recommended for ages 9 and up. There will be a craft and snacks included.

            Our final session is on July 30, where we’ll be discussing the first issue of “Ms. Marvel” by G. Willow Wilson. Meet 16-year-old Kamala, an exciting new superhero who gains super powers. Read about how she becomes the protector of New Jersey. For children ages 9 and up.

            All programs are free and open to the public. If special accommodations are needed, please contact the library at 508-758-4171 or email the children’s librarian, Miss Chris at cmatos@sailsinc.org. For more information on up-coming children’s programs, please visit our website at www.mattapoisettlibrary.org/childrens.

Community Sailing Program in Marion

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Marion Recreation Department is launching a Community sailing program this July. Come join MRCS racing one design Bullseye class sail boats on Saturdays! Registration on-line is required and we welcome people with their own boats in our BYOB program (bring your own boat).

            Racing is weather permitting beginning on July 13 – each Saturday from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm. We will also include a post race debrief to learn more about techniques and tactics.

Mattapoisett Land Trust Receives MVP Grant

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            The Mattapoisett Land Trust (MLT) scored when they applied for and received a Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness grant. The $960,000 grant is one of the largest distributed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. 

            The department’s website notes that, “The Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness grant program (MVP) provides support for cities and towns in Massachusetts to begin the process of planning for climate change resiliency and implementing priority projects. The state awards communities with funding to complete vulnerability assessments and develop action-oriented resiliency plans. Communities who complete the MVP program become certified as an MVP community and are eligible for MVP Action grant funding and other opportunities.”

            Locally, no one was happier than the president of the MLT, Mike Huguenin. Huguenin has been banging the gong on the importance of preserving the 120 acre site for nearly two years. Along with MLT members Gary Johnson, Alice McGarth, Joanna Dresser, and Peter Davies, Huguenin worked long and hard to make the townspeople appreciate the importance of protecting these tender resource lands while negotiating with the landowners.

            When town administrator Mike Gagne became aware of the MLT’s plans to try and purchase the acreage for permanent conservation, he was all in. Gagne is well-known for his work in assisting organizations with environmental issues from preserving lands for passive recreation, to preserving fresh water sources, to engaging the necessary legal assets to ensure conservation commission conditions are upheld. He was recognized this past May by the Buzzards Bay Coalition when they awarded him with a Guardian Award for his work on behalf of land conservation, wetlands protection, and regional environmental cooperation. Given his experience, Gagne rolled up his sleeves and jumped into the Pine Island Watershed project noting the importance of protecting the acreage from development due to its potential as a way for residents of the coastal neighborhood to evacuate the area in the event of a major storm and in recognition of raising sea levels that will one day eliminate existing roadways to homes in that area. 

            Gagne, along with the MLT, also believed in the importance of giving the public better access to Pine Island Pond, an area for shellfish harvesting and non-motorized watercraft recreating. With this acquisition there would be a nearly unbroken natural corridor from Route 6 to the shore.

            But its not quite time for celebrating as Huguenin is well aware. When The Wanderercaught up with him, he was still breathless from the good news, but cognizant of the work ahead. “It’s really great news … and the project is just so great …” but there is still another $150,000 that needs to be secured, he quickly added. To try and accomplish this, Huguenin will be attending the annual meetings of beach communities that will be positively impacted by having an alternate evacuation route through uplands along the watershed parcels. “The challenge now is to raise private funds,” he shared. He said that even small donations add up, and he believes those small contributions give the MLT a morale boost because “it shows the community is behind this.”

            Gagne told The Wanderer, “I’m delighted, this is a tremendous achievement; just fantastic!” He said that by granting such a large amount to the MLT for this acquisition, it demonstrated the Commonwealth’s understanding of the importance of the acreage. “They saw how vulnerable the area is especially given sea level rise,” he said.

            The MLT Facebook page also contained this notification:“The town and state have given the Pine Island Watershed project a tremendous vote of confidence, and provided over $1.2 million of the $1.5 million needed to complete the acquisition. Now private citizens need to finish the job, and I’m happy to report that Mattapoisett Land Trust already has raised approximately half of the final $300,000 needed. We will continue our outreach to everyone who loves the Pine Island area, and hope to complete final fundraising this summer.”

By Marilou Newell

Aurisia C. (Cruz) Gomes

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Aurisia C. (Cruz) Gomes, 88, of Mattapoisett passed away Sunday June 23, 2019 surrounded by her family after a brief illness. She was the wife of the late Firmino M. Gomes.

            Born in Montalegre, Portugal, the daughter of the late Joao Pires daCruz and Teresa Pereira, she lived in Mattapoisett for the past 50 years.

            Mrs. Gomes enjoyed gardening and spending time with her granddaughters.

            She is survived by her son, Edward C. Gomes and his wife Sarah; her sister, Maria Amelia; her granddaughters, Paige and Hannah Gomes; and her nephews, Joao Carlos Quelha and Leonel Afonso.

            She was predeceased by her siblings, Artur, Joao, Manuel, and Isilda.

            Her Funeral will be held on Thursday June 27, 2019 at 9 am from the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Route 6, Mattapoisett, followed by her Funeral Mass at St. Anthony’s Church at 10 am. Burial will be in St. Anthony’s Cemetery. Visiting hours will be on Wednesday June 26, 2019 from 4-7 pm. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

Muriel R. (Gagnier) Foster

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Muriel R. (Gagnier) Foster, 72, of New Bedford succumbed to heart failure Thursday June 20, 2019 ending her courageous eleven-year battle with cancer. Muriel was an inspiration to all who knew and loved her.

            Born in New Bedford, the daughter of the late Adelard and Lucinda (Pelletier) Gagnier, she lived in New Bedford and Fairhaven for most of her life.

            Muriel was employed for 22 years at the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office.

            She was a graduate of New Bedford Vocational High School.

            Muriel was strong, witty, charming, kind, caring, sensitive, funny and always willing to help someone in need. She had been an active volunteer for the American Cancer Society, and had served on the Daffodil Committee for many years. She enjoyed gardening and cooking.

            She is survived by her loving sister and best friend, Terri C. Nowell; her companion, Stanley Jasinski; her cousin, Yvette Poirier Gracie; and her many friends including her colleagues from the District Attorney’s Office.

            Her Funeral will be held on Saturday June 29, 2019 at 8 am from the Saunders-Dwyer Home for Funerals, 495 Park St., New Bedford, followed by her Funeral Mass at St. Anthony of Padua Church at 9 am. Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery, Fairhaven. Visiting hours will be on Friday June 28, 2019 from 4-7 pm. Flowers are acceptable or remembrances may be made to St. Anthony Church Fuel Fund or the Handicap Access Fund, 1359 Acushnet Ave., New Bedford, MA 02746. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

Solar Canopy on the Horizon for ORR

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            The Old Rochester Regional School Committee took its first steps towards a possible solar canopy installation for the high school parking lot on June 11.

            Representatives on behalf of solar developer SunPower, the country’s largest solar developer with over 33 years in business, gave the committee a presentation on what it has to offer the school district – its benefits, terms, and overall expectations over the next couple decades.

            Walter Gray of Power Options said a study of area municipal properties shows Old Rochester Regional High School (ORR) to be an optimal location for a solar canopy installation of rows of solar panels 10 to 12 feet high above the parking lot under which vehicles can still be parked while the panels could save the school district a potential $2.9 million in net savings over a 20-year contract period.

            These solar canopies or carports, as Gray also called them, would not only provide the school district with energy savings, but also help it to achieve sustainability goals, making a visual statement on the district’s sustainability initiatives and its commitment to them.

            There would be no upfront costs to the district as the developer owns and operates the installation, and no ongoing maintenance or operational responsibilities on the part of the district. SunPower will also offer the district competitive pricing and battery storage to defray high demand electricity costs during peak times like in summer.

            Already SunPower has installed over 70 solar carport projects, Gray said, with over 30 of them municipal.

            “This isn’t something that’s new or that you’re doing for the first time,” Gray assured the committee. “It’s been very well tested by the regional school districts.”

            SunPower would perform the legwork to get the project underway, including applying with the Department of Energy Resources under current incentive blocks and coordinating the actual construction and offer the district a “turnkey proposal.”

            Gray described the “dual-tilted” panel system as a “checkmark” with a two-degree horizontal tilt on the bottom of the panels and a 15-degree vertical tilt to the top for maximum generation tilting toward the sun. The angling will also provide a way to collect rain and snow as it is funneled towards “mini gutters” connected to a main gutter tied-in to the existing subgrade stormwater system.

            The parking lot at ORR could fit a solar energy canopy large enough to generate an entire megawatt, said Gray.

            “Solar starts to make more sense when you get economies of scale,” said Gray.

            The first year the district could see a savings of about $93,000 and $2.9 million over 20 years, said Gray, at the current rate of $0.09. Any reduced rate negotiated would be locked in for the life of the contract, either for 20 or 25 years.

            In addition, SunPower provides an educational STEM curriculum on solar, teacher training and professional externships, and a complimentary TV monitor for the lobby to display the real-time electricity generation stats.

            School committee member Joe Pires was concerned about EMF exposure from solar generating facilities and claimed there are numerous nationwide studies and “research everywhere” about the dangers, but Gray tried to assuage Pires’ concerns by explaining how solar energy equipment differs from high tension wires. He said high tension wire EMF output is “far different from what we’re talking about.”

            School Committee Chairman Carey Humphrey asked about a solar canopy above the main stadium bleachers, which could be a possibility, according to Chris McCarthy of SunPower, as it may fall under the Department of Energy Resources (DOER) definition of a solar “canopy.”

            “It’s something that we could push for,’ said McCarthy. “We would love to do a project like that … and say (to the DOER), it’s a canopy under your definition.”

            Superintendent Doug White urged the committee to come up with any remaining questions as soon as possible, as the window to apply under DOER incentive blocks is limited, and SunPower will not move forward in the process unless the district can demonstrate its commitment to drafting a contract of either 20 or 25 years.

            At the end of the contract, Gray said the district has three options: purchase the installation, extend the contract, or complete the contract and the developer would decommission the installation and return the parking lot to its original state.

            The panels are warrantied for 25 years, and the life expectancy is 40 years.

            “I definitely support us looking into this,’ said Pires. “We have to find ways to save money [and] I think this is a way.” But he still needs reassurance that the panels will not cause health problems, he added. “I think we should at least do our due diligence to rule it out completely and not find out ten years from now that these kids had needless exposure to something that they didn’t even know about. I’m all for the saving energy, but not at the cost of putting our kids at risk.”

            “It seems like our parking lot is a very attractive asset to them,” said school committee member Heather Burke. She advocated for trying to coordinate the installation with the installation of the athletic complex project (if it passes in Rochester on July 10) to see if SunPower would be willing to include some labor, such as conduits for the new LED lights. “We seem attractive to them so we might as well leverage that.”

            Burke and the committee agreed that White should look into speaking with other districts with similar installations to get a sense of what to expect.

            “If you’re getting into a 20-year relationship with someone,” said Burke, “they can always look good on paper, but…” 

            The next meeting of the Old Rochester Regional School Committee will be September 11 at 6:30 pm in the junior high media room.

Old Rochester Regional School Committee

By Jean Perry

Marion Art Center

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Arts in the Park – The Marion Art Center’s (MAC) premier outdoor artisan fair, Arts in the Park, returns to Bicentennial Park in Marion (corner of Main and Spring Streets) on Saturday, July 6from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm, featuring a select group of local artists and artisans. Goods include baskets, ceramics, clothing, collage, fiber, glass, jewelry, woodworking, painted & crafted furniture, paintings, photography, and more! There will be arts activities in the NBAM/Artworks! ArtMobile, musical entertainment by Yesterdays’ Country Band, food, and a table full of unique raffle items! Arts in the Park is sponsored in part by a grant from the Marion Cultural Council, a local chapter of the Mass Cultural Council. Rain date: Sunday, July 7.

            Call for Entries – Summer Members’ Show – On Friday, July 12, the MAC will present its Summer Members’ Show, with an opening reception from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm. Any current MAC member is invited to participate and can submit up to two works for the exhibition. Please contact the MAC for more details. During the reception, we’ll also celebrate the musicians of the Buzzards Bay Musicfest – happening July 10-14. Visit https://www.buzzardsbaymusicfest.com/ for more information. Please note the MAC’s annual summer fundraiser Cocktails by the Sea, will be held on Friday, July 26, 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm – tickets on sale now.

            Calling all Poets – The Marion Art Center will host the first ever meeting of the newly-created MAC Poetry Group on June 25from 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm at the Marion Art Center. Whether you have hundreds of poems scribbled throughout your home library or have just begun writing, you are welcome to join this easy-going group! We will meet monthly on the last Tuesday of each month and there is no cost to join. Please bring: an open mind, an open heart, and 1-3 poems to share with the group. During the first meeting, we will decide on an official name for the Poetry Group, work out a few logistics, and then workshop some poems in a friendly, supportive atmosphere. Poets of all levels are welcome to join! Come for one month or 12! For more information, please call Stacie Charbonneau Hess at 508-524-5773 or the Marion Art Center at 508-748-1266.

Friends of the Mattapoisett COA

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The Friends of the Mattapoisett COA would like to extend a very big Thank You to all who made our yard sale fundraiser a reality. From the people who worked to set up, manage, and take down the sale; to those who made a donation of their treasures; to everyone who came by to find new treasures to take home. Everyone working together made this yard sale a huge success. Thanks again.

Margaret M. (Fournier) George

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Margaret M. (Fournier) George, 80, of Rochester, died June 21, 2019 in St. Luke’s Hospital, New Bedford. She was the daughter of the late Alfonse and May (Gifford) Fournier.

            She was born in New Bedford and lived in Rochester for 51 years.

            Survivors include her husband Donald George, and 4 grandchildren: Courtney Gurll of Brighton; Joshua Gurll of Manchester, NH; Patrick Gurll of Sebring, FL; and Jeremy Lindsay of Wareham. She was the mother of the late Sharon Lindsay and Deborah J. George and sister of the late Ronald Fournier and Barbara Bergeron.

            She was an avid Bingo Player. She was fond of hummingbirds and watching live webcams of safari animals.

            Her graveside service will be held at 11:00 am on Wednesday, June 26, 2019 in Rochester Center Cemetery, Dexter Ln., Rochester. Please omit flowers.

            Arrangements are by the Chapman, Cole & Gleason Funeral Home, 2599 Cranberry Hwy., Wareham.