Town Restructures Water/Sewer Tiers, Raises Rates

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Water and sewer rates will go up, which, in light of the circumstances facing Marion, is no surprise, at least to the Marion Board of Selectmen. But for water and sewer ratepayers, the surprise might not come from the rates, but more from the restructuring of the three tiers.

            On May 21, Finance Director Judy Mooney, DPW Administrative Assistant Rebecca Tilden, and retired Town Administrator Paul Dawson presented data from last year and the projections for the next four fiscal years as they made their recommendations for fiscal year 2020’s rates.

            Heading into the next year, Mooney said, “We are really going to be really tight on sewer, even with the rate increases we looked out – it all depends on wet and dry years. It’s a wet year … you’re down in your revenue.”

            As sewer bills are driven by water usage, Mooney said a summer that resembles the spring we have just experienced would be a disaster for the Sewer Enterprise.

            Tiers are based on water consumption, and with a higher water consumption comes a higher rate per 1,000 cubic feet of water.

            There are 7,480 gallons in 1,000 CF.

            The base sewer charge will go up from $115.33 to $118.79 next year, an increase of 3%.

            Tier one sewer rates are going up 4% from $57.65 per 1,000 CF to $59.96, Tier 2 rates are up by 6% from $154.76 per 1,000 CF to $164.05, and Tier 3 went up 8% from $235.53 per 1,000 CF to $254.37.

            Those who were in Tier 1 this year and in prior years might find themselves next year in Tier 2, and the same goes for Tier 2 users who might soon find themselves in Tier 3.

            Tier 1 was downgraded from a maximum consumption of 1,250 CF, to a max of 1,000 CF in fiscal year 2020.

            Tier 2 will change from the range of 1,251 CF – 2,500 CF, to 1,001 – 2,000.

            Tier 3 will change from greater than 2,501 CF to greater than 2,001.

            “That will give us an approximate $42,815 projected revenue surplus,” said Mooney. “Not much.”

            “I don’t think we have a choice,” said Selectman John Waterman.

            Although sewer and water rates are different, those new tier structures apply to both water and sewer bills for the upcoming year.

            The water rates for FY20 are as follows: Tier 1, $39.14 per 1,000 CF, an increase of 2.5%; Tier 2, $92.15, an increase of 3%; and Tier 3, $139.52, a 5% increase from last year.

            The base water charge of $41 will increase slightly to $42.03 next year.

            This tier restructuring and water rate increases will result in a conservative estimate of about $216,000 in surplus revenue for the Water Enterprise for FY20.

            If the Town took no action and left sewer rates and tier structures alone, the Sewer Enterprise’s surplus deficit is expected to plunge into the red drastically every year: -$178,126 in FY20; -$427,318 in FY21; -$787,161 in FY22; -$815,004 in FY23, and -$850,114 in FY24.

            Sewer rates will again need to be revisited for FY21, as the data Mooney presented shows a deficit of -$177,607 in FY21 if the FY20 rates remain, plunging further to -$507,733 in FY22 at the FY20 rate, all effects of the new debt that Town Meeting has approved as it takes effect in the coming two to four years.

            “We struggled with it,” said Mooney. “You know, we were looking at some huge increases if we left the tiers the way they are.”

            Restructuring the tiers, Town Administrator Jay McGrail said, was the only way to protect the lower-consumption sewer and water users from taking a huge hit.

            According to Tilden, about 40 percent of water/sewer consumers have been in Tier 1, although this can vary by each quarter, with consumption increasing in the summer.

            It was either change the tiers or give everyone a 5% rate increase across the board, said Waterman. “We have to think about that trade off and how many people are affected.”

            Dawson commented that ratepayers might have faced a possible double increase in their bills in future years if the tier structure wasn’t changed.

            “We know it’s a tough thing to … approve,” Moody told the selectmen, “but I think it’s in the best interest.”

            In other matters, Frank McNamee, Recreation Director Jody Dickerson, and Council on Aging Director Karen Gregory let the board know that the group was spearheading an office renovation at the Benjamin D. Cushing Community Center.

            “This came about as a need for privacy at the center,” said McNamee. “We realized early on that there was a definite need for privacy.”

            The cost of the project is $62,000, which will be funded through a donation from the Marion Visiting Nurse Association and the Friends of the Marion COA.

            Often, said Gregory, “a senior needs to discuss financial or medical issues – serious concerns that should remain private, and they need and deserve that level of privacy and respect given to them, and it’s hard when there are no walls.”

            It’s often distracting in the office too, she said, and has had to bring her work home some nights so she could concentrate.

            “It’s been an issue from day one,” said Dickerson. “Especially with the privacy.”

            Facilities Director Shaun Cormier said he would be providing and supervising some of the labor involved beginning in late November.

            “We’d like to offer our help and save a ton of money,” Cormier said.

            In the meantime, Dickerson and Gregory will utilize a portable office trailer on the property at a cost of $1,600, also funded by donations, for the four months of construction as the walls are installed at the center.

            In other matters, the selectmen appointed David Bramley as a voting member of the Zoning Board of Appeals after a brief interview. Bramley received a recommendation from the chairman of the ZBA and has been an alternate non-voting member for a year and a half.

            Board of Health member Betsy Dunn submitted her resignation from the ZBA after 34 years. She has also resigned from her elected position on the Board of Health.

            The board interviewed William Tift in response to his request to be appointed to the ZBA and Historical Commission. The board appointed him to the Historical Commission on the spot, but will appoint the two alternate members to the ZBA at the next meeting.

            The board also interviewed Ethan Gerber for the ZBA, and also for the Conservation Commission and the Marion Affordable Housing Trust. He was appointed on the spot as an associate member of the Conservation Commission and a full member of the Affordable Housing Trust.

            The next regular meeting of the Marion Board of Selectmen is scheduled for June 4 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Town House.

Marion Board of Selectmen

By Jean Perry

Tri-Town Memorial Day Happenings

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            It’s considered the unofficial start of the summer, but it’s also the day the nation honors the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. armed military.

            Tri-Town’s traditional activities will continue again this year, so let’s hope for great weather and an even greater turnout to some of our favorite events of the year.

            Marion:Memorial Day preparations begin on Saturday, May 25, at 9:00 am at Evergreen Cemetery on Route 6 with the Scouts and other volunteers tidying up the cemetery and planting flowers on veterans’ graves. Anyone wishing to volunteer may arrive at the cemetery to help out, and any help is always welcome.

            On Monday, May 27, at 9:00 am, Marion’s Memorial Day Remembrances and Procession will take place in front of the Marion Music Hall at 164 Front Street. 

            The 2019 procession and remembrances will follow the same route as last year, stepping off from the Music Hall northbound on Front Street and marching 0.6 miles up Front Street to the Veterans’ Memorial at Old Landing. Upon arrival at the Veterans’ Memorial, the town will pay tribute to our military’s “honored dead” who “gave the last full measure of devotion”.

            The procession and remembrances will feature the Sippican School Marching Band led by director Hannah Moore, The Portuguese American Band, and a military veterans’ color guard.

            The guest speaker this year is Professor James R. Holmes, Ph.D. of the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, and the master of ceremonies for the event will be Captain Andrew Bonney of the Massachusetts Air National Guard.

            The Town encourages residents to participate in the remembrances, and also along the procession route on Front Street between Cottage Street and Ryder Lane.

            In the event of rain, the ceremony will be relocated to the Multipurpose Room of Sippican School.

            Mattapoisett:The Mattapoisett Memorial Day Ceremony and Parade is scheduled for Monday, May 27, at 1:30 pm at Center School.

            The Florence Eastman Post 280 of the American Legion invites you to please join them in honoring our fallen heroes.

            The guest speaker will be Eric R. Dawicki, president and CEO of Northeast Maritime Institute. Dawicki has had a very accomplished career in the maritime industry, as well as serving in both the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Merchant Marine.

            The Old Hammondtown School Band will be performing a selection of patriotic tunes before joining in the parade after the ceremony.

            The parade will form on Barstow Street and proceed to the Mattapoisett Library for a wreath ceremony at the WWI Monument, the Civil War Monument, and the Florence Eastman Stone. From the library, the parade will proceed to the Town Wharf where an observance will be held for those who lost their lives at sea.

            Rochester:The Rochester Memorial Day observance will be held on Sunday, May 26, beginning at 12:00 pm on the steps of Town Hall. The annual parade will follow, featuring the RMS School Band, Rochester Fire, Police, and Scouts.

            The 85thannual Rochester Memorial Day Boat Race on the Mattapoisett River, sponsored by the Rochester Fire Department, will take place on Memorial Day, May 27, starting at 8:30 am at Grandma Hartley’s Reservoir on Snipatuit Road in Rochester, and finishing at the Herring Weir, where River Road meets Route 6, in Mattapoisett.

            The river racing boat will be raffled, and trophies and prizes will be awarded Memorial Day at the Rochester Memorial School at 7:30 pm.

            The Wanderer wishes everybody a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day, and when you see us with our camera at any of these events, smile! And don’t forget to read The Wanderer… You might be in it!

Buzzards Bay Musicfest

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There are many reasons why people flock to Marion each summer; sandy beaches, fine sailing, and a quaint village atmosphere have made it a seasonal haven for over a century. For the last 22 years, though, Marion has attracted crowds each July for quite a different reason: its music. Since 1997, Marion has been home to the Buzzards Bay Musicfest, a multi-day concert series featuring some of the world’s finest and most accomplished musicians. 

            The Musicfest’s original concept was based on the remarkable success of the Sunflower Music Festival, as many of the nationally recognized artists involved in that Topeka, Kansas festival expressed interest in locating a similar event in the Cape Cod area. After identifying the outstanding location of Tabor Academy – with its excellent Performing Arts Center – as well as host families to house the artists, a steering committee from Marion and the surrounding area organized and incorporated the Buzzards Bay Musicfest, Inc. The articles of incorporation include three fundamental goals: to produce and present annual festivals of professional orchestra concerts & chamber music programs of the highest quality possible, to add to the cultural and educational life of the community and surrounding region through performances and educational activities, and to stimulate interest in and support for the arts and make outstanding presentations available for both residents and visitors to the Buzzards Bay and Cape Cod areas, as well as throughout the region. 

            By design, all concerts are free. It was the mission of the Musicfest’s founding members to provide an extraordinary opportunity for cultural enrichment to the public — without cost. Totally underwritten by its Founding Board members for the Musicfest’s initial seasons, the size and scope of the presentations have grown, and a number of generous supporters have enabled it to continue for 23 years. While the Buzzards Bay Musicfest Foundation provides a small percentage of the festival’s operating budget, the vast majority of funding comes from donations. In past years, a whopping 93% of the Musicfest’s funding came from individual donations and small grants. Staged at Tabor Academy’s Fireman Center, the series opens and closes with orchestral concerts, with two chamber music concerts, and a jazz performance held in-between. A highlight of the festival is the Open Rehearsal, a unique opportunity for young, old, and aspiring musicians. This event provides, for many people, their first classical music experience; it includes a post-rehearsal meet & greet session with the Musicfest’s Guest Conductor, Antony Walker, as well as its many distinguished performers, and the Artistic Director, Charles Stegeman. These gifted musicians have presented hundreds of works in a variety of styles and ensembles, ranging from chamber music duos and trios to full orchestra. Each year brings new works from a variety of composers. This year’s selections will include works by Bach, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Spohr, Dohnanyi, Ligeti, Debussy, Dvorak, Vivaldi, Grieg, and Brahms. 

            With each season, the Musicfest continues to grow and expand its range. Four years ago, a performance by the sensational Sean Jones Quartet was added to the concert series, a complement to the classical variety of the Musicfest’s traditional offerings. This year’s return of the BBMF ten-piece ensemble Swing Band in “A Tribute to Duke Ellington”, under the leadership of Phil Sanborn is bound to be a memorable event.

            The 2019 BBMF concert series is pleased to announce Antony Walker as Guest Conductor. 

Walker is the Music Director of Pittsburgh Opera and Artistic Director of Washington Concert Opera in D.C. Since making his debut in Sydney, Australia in 1992, Maestro Walker has conducted over 100 operas, as well as large scale choral orchestra/symphonic works with companies and orchestras in Australia, the U.S., Asia, the UK, and Europe. He is the founding Artistic Director and now Conductor Emeritus of the award-winning Pinchgut Opera in Sydney and has recorded over 40 CDs, many of which are complete rarely performed operas, on ABC Classics. 

            The 2019 Buzzards Bay Musicfest begins with its Open Rehearsal for All (children welcome with accompanying adult), to be held on Wednesday, July 10th at 2:30 pm. Orchestral performances will be held Wednesday, July 10th at 8 pm and Sunday, July 14th at 2 pm. Chamber music performances will be held Thursday, July 11 and Saturday, July 13th at 8 pm. The BBMF Swing Band performance will be held Friday, July 12th at 8 pm. For more information about the BBMF, or the performances, visit www.buzzardsbaymusicfest.com or email info@buzzardsbaymusicfest.com.

Rochester Historical Society is Turning 50

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The Rochester Historical Society is sponsoring a 50th Anniversary/Reunion celebration on Saturday, September 14at the Rochester COA, 67 Dexters Lane, Rochester from 11:00 am – 2:00 pm.

            It’s been 50 years since the Historical Society was incorporated and we hope you will come celebrate with old and new friends. The individuals who started the historical society did so to preserve the town’s history. We hope it will continue for another 50 years. It is open to everyone.

            Admission is $20 per person and includes lunch. Send your check payable to RHS, P.O. Box 322, Rochester, MA 02770 before August 19. Any questions email rochestermahistoricalsociety@gmail.com

Women in Waders

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Join the Buzzards Bay Coalition for a three-week series of free adventures for women who love the outdoors beginning May 28. During these fun outdoor activities, we will explore ways to get up close and personal with nature in a safe and supportive all-female environment.

            Adults of all ages are welcome. We encourage you to attend all three programs, but it isn’t required. All programs are on Tuesday evenings from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm.

            On May 28, discover the diversity of aquatic life at the edge of the Acushnet River during “Buggin’ Out” at The Sawmill (32 Mill Rd., Acushnet). On June 4, master the art of catching feisty blue crabs during “Crazy About Crabs” at Shining Tides Beach (99 Reservation Rd., Mattapoisett). And on June 11, don a pair of waders and learn how to dig for quahogs during “Seeking Shellfish” at West Island’s Round Cove (Dogwood Street, Fairhaven).

            To RSVP and learn more about these free events, visit www.savebuzzardsbay.org/events/ or contact the Buzzards Bay Coalition at 508-999-6363 ext. 219 or bayadventures@savebuzzardsbay.org.

            Women in Waders is part of Discover Buzzards Bay, an initiative to help people across the Buzzards Bay region find unique and exciting ways to explore the outdoors, get some exercise, and connect with nature. Local residents can use Discover Buzzards Bay to get outside and discover woods, wetlands, and waterways from Fall River to Falmouth. To learn more, visit savebuzzardsbay.org/discover. Discover Buzzards Bay is sponsored by Southcoast Health.

Annual Rochester Town Meeting

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To the Editor:

            The Annual Rochester Town Meeting on May 20thwas a spectacle that highlighted the worst of ill-equipped local government and mob rule in the Tri-Town. After waiting over three hours to share from my unique experience on the most controversial topic of the night, the “Restore ORR” proposal, I was not allowed to do so because my discussion points were ‘out of order.’ I was admittedly frustrated at this, especially since had proper parliamentary procedure been followed, others and myself would have been allowed to talk. My frustration, however, stemmed not only from this, but also from the ineptitude of the Town Moderator to facilitate a fair meeting, from the failure of three Town Selectmen to stand-up for what would have been right, and from the various ORR School Committee members present for purposefully-failing to create an atmosphere for openly exchanging ideas in what became a mockery of a process. 

            As I exited the Town Meeting, an ORR School Committee member approached me, and said that they “would like to hear my thoughts sometime” on the “Restore ORR” proposal. Upon reflection, I began to see how absurd this comment was, given the fact that I was denied the right to do this very thing in front of my fellow townspeople. In light of this, I would like to share my thoughts on the proposal, not only for this one School Committee member to hear, but for all who should have been able to hear it at the Annual Town Meeting. 

            As a 2015 graduate of Old Rochester Regional High School who was involved in various clubs and organizations, I understand the importance of extracurriculars, specifically school sports and drama as they relate here, to a well-rounded high school experience. But with this being said, the idea of using a Proposition 2 ½ override as outlined in the “Restore ORR” proposal is ludicrous. Old Rochester Regional High School has become a place where athletics are valued first above all else, with academics now being a distant second. Supporting this proposal supports this mentality, which is held by both the school’s administration and the ORR School Committee. Instead of “Restoring” our school, we must refocus it.

            Using available data from the Massachusetts Department of Education’s website, one can see clearly how the quality of education at ORR has stagnated, if not declined, over the last five years. MCAS scores, Advanced Placement (AP) scores, and SAT scores are all indications of this. One more-meaningful indicator is average class size, which over the last five years at ORR has risen above the public school average in Massachusetts. The state of ORR today is one where desks are moved around from period-to-period to accommodate extra-large class sizes. Additionally, resources critical to learning are unable to be reliably provided at ORR. In one example from this year, a required reading book in English class was photocopied and handed-out to students in folders. Not only is this questionable, but it shows a true need, given that the book in question was not anything new, but was George Orwell’s classic Nineteen Eighty-Four, which has been commonplace in high school curricula for almost as long as it has existed. While textbooks and athletic fields are different spheres, the fact that the Tri-Town is on the brink of funding the later and not the former is a slap-in-the-face to any academically-oriented and college-hopeful ORR student. 

            Without even mentioning other cons to the “Restore ORR” proposal, which have been documented in local publications previously, it becomes clear that while restoration may be needed at Old Rochester Regional, where the restoration should be happening must be refocused. Proposition 2 ½ was passed by Massachusetts’ voters in 1980 to give individual townspeople a voice in local tax increases. Townspeople of Rochester, who per capita are paying a disproportionate amount of this proposed project, must use this voice to say “no” when the choice inevitably comes-to a town vote in a TBD special election. “Restore ORR” is simply an absurd, non-educational beautification project in Mattapoisett that must be stopped. 

            To the town officials who failed to run a proper Annual Town Meeting, I would suggest reading-up on Robert’s Rules of Order prior to next May- you can borrow my heavily-used copy if you’d like. And to the ORR School Committee member who laughably suggested that I share my concerns non-publically, I’ll see you at the ballot box. 

Michael Vincent Amato, Rochester

The views expressed in the “Letters to the Editor” column are not necessarily those of The Wanderer, its staff or advertisers. The Wandererwill 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 Wandererreserves the right to edit, condense and otherwise alter submissions for purposes of clarity and/or spacing considerations. The Wanderermay choose to not run letters that thank businesses, and The Wandererhas the right to edit letters to omit business names. The Wandereralso reserves the right to deny publication of any submitted correspondence.

Town Delays Recycle Bin Checks, For Now

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The Town of Rochester is seeking a $20,000 recycling grant from the state, and as the town administrator continues to follow through with the grant application paper work process, Suzanne Szyndlar told the Rochester Board of Selectmen meeting on May 20 that part of that process will have to be delayed until spring of 2020.

            A 16-week period of “compliancy testing” is a requirement of the grant, a task Szyndlar described last month. The Town will employ a number of “inspectors” to travel to various neighborhoods to check inside curbside recycling bins for recycling violations such as dirty containers and unaccepted materials. Back in April, Szyndlar had reported that the state required eight weeks of compliancy testing, but now knowing the task must go on over a period of about four months, she is rethinking the timing of starting the program.

            It won’t be long, she said, until the days grow colder and shorter, and Szyndlar said she’s uncomfortable with the prospect of inspectors checking bins by the street in the dark.

            The recycling grant will provide the town with funding for educational materials directed at better informing residents on what materials to put in the trash and what belongs in the recycling bin.

            Also during the meeting, the board and the Rochester School Committee appointed former RMS teacher Danni Kleimann to the vacant seat on the Rochester School Committee until the next annual Election.

            The board appointed Benjamin Coucci as reserve police officer, and also declared a 1969 Chevrolet fire truck to be surplus property. The board received a letter of resignation from Walter Shaw from the Historic District Commission.

            The Town is seeking one member to fill the vacant seat on the Agricultural Commission reserved for a member of the community who works in farming and agriculture.

            In anticipation of Town Meeting passing Article 19, the selectmen designated July 10 as the date for the Special Election for the ballot question that would allow the Old Rochester Regional School District to borrow $2 million to fund the artificial turf, track, and auditorium lighting and audio system.

            The election had to be scheduled a minimum of 35 days from the night of the Town Meeting vote, and July 10 seemed to be the logical choice, given that the prior Tuesday would be July 3 right before the holiday. 

            The ballot question to change the town clerk’s position from elected to appointed will appear on the Special Election ballot.

            The next regular meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen is scheduled for June 3 at 6:00 pm at the Rochester Town Hall.

Rochester Board of Selectmen

By Jean Perry

Inside Shapiro’s Writing Process

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            The “One Book, Tri-Town” program has now officially concluded, but not without a grand finale that found the Mattapoisett Public Library meeting room packed to capacity on May 19 to hear best-selling novelist Barbara A. Shapiro talk about her book, The Muralist. 

            For the past several months, Tri-Town residents have had the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of public events with themes that touched on the programs developed by the WPA or events surrounding The Great Depression.

            Shapiro’s novel, The Muralist, was center stage throughout the weeks leading up to the finale as readers devoured that book and then plunged into others with plot lines and settings that added to the overall theme – American artists and artistic invention pre-WWII.

            Now, if you think the subject matter was purely academic, you’d be very wrong. For while Shapiro is herself an academic (PhD in sociology) and while she employs linear thinking (i.e. spreadsheets and index cards), both sides of her brain are fully engaged as she develops personalities for the many characters that populate the landscapes in her novels.

            All this was humorously brought to light as local journalist Lauren Daley sat down with Shapiro to discuss her books and writing methodologies.

            Shapiro said as a child she had dreamed of becoming an artist. Her childhood was rich with opportunities to visit museums during family vacations and her parents had provided not only materials to express her budding artistic predisposition, they also gave her a studio space in their home. She was quickly disabused of the notion she’d have a career as an artist, but her deep interest in the arts remained. Years later it would manifest itself in her writing.

            Shapiro explained that writing was a critical part of who she is, but that when her children were small, she wrote only while they were in school. Once the kids were on their way she could focus on writing.

            “I write,” she said. “I don’t cook: I don’t garden: I don’t have any hobbies – I write.”

            With all her novels, Shapiro uses research skills that she has honed over the decades. She described elaborate processes for character development and explained how plot lines could shift, endings could change, and lovers may roam at will. In the theater of her mind, long before a single word is crafted, scenes are played out and explored, planted in rich soils to grow then maybe pruned or plowed under.

            Of writing The Muralist, Shapiro said her first draft took her two years to finish.

            “It was one of the more difficult books to write,” she said.

            There were nine total rewrites, she said. “Every page was probably rewritten twenty times.” But it is the process of securing data points and doing the research on her subject matter that inspires, she shared. “The research gives you ideas.”

            The era of the book’s setting is one that Shapiro truly enjoys visiting. Her appreciation of the importance of the WPA, how it granted artists the opportunity to produce works and explore their own individual capabilities at a time when economic suffering plagued the country, could be summed up this way: “I simply love Eleanor!”

            Shapiro was able to take Eleanor Roosevelt and weave her into the storyline. When asked what she would wish to discuss with Eleanor if she could do so she said, “Well, she was gay, but where did she get the courage as a lesbian in those times? I’d love to talk to her about that.” 

            Shapiro entertained her audience with details of how she brought each character to life in her novels, the difficulties of writing historical fiction, and the joy of having creative freedom to take her creations wherever she wished, to allow them to be more than what pure history had assigned to them.

            There was some discussion on the publishing process itself and the strain of having to let go in some areas of the novel, like the cover art for instance. There was also the effort required to get a book in the hands of consumers, and to get the number of units sold to satisfy the publisher. Yet, all this paled in comparison to having one’s own artistic endeavor become a bestseller.

            After the success of her earlier novel, The Art Forger, Shapiro’s emotions were “flying high,” as she put it. That success gave her the incentive to write The Muralistand, more recently, The Collector’s Apprentice.

            Having completed what could be referred to as a trilogy, Shapiro says her next book places her characters in a rather unique environment, one where people from disparate walks of life might meet.

            “They could all have contact at a self-storage facility,” she said.

            Her audience roared with laughter.

            The One Book, Tri-Town event was sponsored in part by the Marion, Mattapoisett, and Rochester Cultural Councils, Friends of the Mattapoisett and Rochester Public Libraries, and the library trustees. To learn more about Barbara Spiro you may visit www.bashapirobooks.com.

By Marilou Newell

Tabor to Induct Cum Laude Members

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Tabor Academy will welcome twenty-eight new student members into its Cum Laude Society ranks at the school’s Commencement Ceremony on Friday, May 31. Founded in 1906, the Cum Laude Society is dedicated to honoring scholastic achievement in secondary schools. Modeled after the Phi Beta Kappa of colleges, the society grants a limited number of memberships to schools of superior academic quality. Tabor Academy was granted membership in 1930, and since that time over 1,100 Tabor students have been honored with Cum Laude distinction. 

            For a student to earn membership in the Tabor Cum Laude chapter, he or she must rank in the top 20% of the graduating class and have achieved a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.8 or better by April of the senior year in a rigorous, challenging, and full course of study that includes advanced-level courses in both the junior and senior years. A candidate’s school citizenship and moral character are considered as well. 

            This year’s Cum Laude seniors from the Tri-Town are as follows:

Matthew Carvalho (Mattapoisett)

Anna Douglas (Marion)

Samuel Gordon (Marion)

Jackson Reydel (Marion)

Grace Ryan (Marion)

Owen Sughrue (Marion)

Be My Baby at the MAC

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Ken Ludwig’s Be My Baby, directed by Pippa Asker, opens on the Marion Art Center (MAC) Stage May 31. Productions are scheduled May 31-June 2 and June 6-9. All Thursday, Friday, and Saturday performances will begin at 7:30 pm, while Sunday matinees will begin at 2:00 pm. This production is presented in part by Santoro’s Pizza & More, Barden’s Boat Yard, Inc., and Fieldstone Farm Market. 

            Be My Baby tells the story of John, an irascible Scotsman, and Maud, an uptight English woman, both in their 60s, who take on the journey of a lifetime. When their young wards, Christy and Gloria, decide to marry and then decide to adopt a child, the older couple (who despise each other) have to travel 6,000 miles to California to pick up the child and bring her safely home to Scotland. Along the way they encounter a host of characters (played by a male and a female who play them all) and form a new partnership while caring for the helpless newborn. Sometimes hilarious, sometimes poignant, Be My Baby is a heartwarming story of life, of loss, and most of all, love.

            The cast includes Jackson Gillman, Suzie Kokkins, Nick Morrill, Camerin Bennett, Annemarie Fredericks, Susan Sullivan, John Heavey, and Jack Boesen, with Kate Fishman as stage manager and Steven McManus as sound/lighting tech. 

            Tickets ($18 for MAC members, $20 for non-members) are available in person, by phone, or online now. A limited number of cabaret tables (seating for 4) are available. Attendees may bring their own refreshments. Reservations are strongly recommended.