New Gaga Pit at Center School

on

Paul McLaughlin of Mattapoisett Boy Scout Troop 53 has completed his Eagle Scout Project – a Gaga Pit at Center School in Mattapoisett. Paul, a Freshman at Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School, first wanted to build the Gaga Pit at the Mattapoisett Town Beach, but due to various restrictions, the project was moved and found a home at Center School. He wanted it to be somewhere everyone could have access and enjoy a game of Gaga Ball. 

            What is Gaga Ball? It is a game played inside the octagon structure (Gaga Pit) with a soft playground type ball. The ball is hit with the hand at opponents within the Gaga Pit in the attempts to hit them below the knees and get them “out”. The full set of rules can be found on a plaque hung within the Gaga Pit – or play your own variation. The pit is there for all to enjoy – all ages. Give it a try. 

            McLaughlin wishes to thank all of those in his Scout Troop, the Mattapoisett community, and his family who helped to support his project – special thanks goes to the local businesses that supported the project.

No Support from Selectmen on TURF Ballot Question

on

            Town Meeting voters on May 13 will see two articles for two Proposition 2 ½ exemption questions slated for the ballot this Election Day – one to fund a new fire station, and one to fund Mattapoisett’s share of the $2 million ORR athletic field complex and auditorium project.

            On April 12 the Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen approved the language for the two ballot question articles that will first be debated at Town Meeting before voters go to the polls May 21.

            Question one will read: “Shall the Town of Mattapoisett be allowed to exempt from the provisions of Proposition Two and One-Half, the amounts required to pay for the bond issued in order to design, engineer, bid, construct, equip and furnish a new Fire Station to be located on the parcel of Town-owned land shown as Mattapoisett Assessors Map 9, Lot 77, and any and all incidental and related costs.”

            Many in Mattapoisett have heard about the dire straits the current fire station suffers, primarily due to age. OSHA’s regulations demand a variety of safety features in all municipal fire stations to ensure interior air quality meets standards, that there is adequate space to decontaminate equipment and personal gear, and adequate shower rooms for coed staffing, to name a few.

            Mattapoisett’s current fire station meets none of those standards.

            Voters will be asked in Question One to allow the town to borrow several million dollars to build the new station adjacent to the Police Station.

            “What we’ll do is recast soon-to-be-expiring debt,” Town Administrator Michael Gagne told The Wanderer during a follow-up. He said the plan is to take some funds from revenue to apply to bonds that were originally secured for capital school and library improvements years ago. With those coming to an end, Gagne believes the plan will allow for the fire station to be paid off without taxpayers seeing a spike to property taxes.

            Proposition 2 ½, Gagne explained, allows for towns to borrow, with voters’ approval, to override the legislative tax levy restriction when seeking “an exclusion.”

            But voters are also being asked to incur debt for Old Rochester Regional High School athletic facilities and auditorium renovations and improvements.

            Question two will read: “Shall the Town of Mattapoisett be allowed to exempt from the provisions of Proposition Two and One-Half, the amounts required to pay for the bond issued in order to design, engineer, bid, construct certain improvements to the Athletic Facilities and Auditorium at the Old Rochester Regional High School at 135 Marion Road, as shown on the Mattapoisett Assessors May 3, Lot including any and all incidental and related costs.”

            “The voters in all three towns must agree to incur this debt,” Gagne said. It will take a two-thirds vote for the questions to pass, two-thirds in all three towns, he said. “If it fails at Town Meeting but passes on the ballot, then the towns will have to revisit the question at another Town Meeting,” Gagne further explained.

            During a prior working meeting held on April 5, the Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen discussed the ORR TURF Committee proposal and its estimated $2 million price tag. This proposal would financially impact the tri-towns, Gagne said April 5, with Marion picking up 28 percent of the costs, Mattapoisett 34 percent, and Rochester 36 percent – figures the committee arrived at based on student enrollment.

            Selectman Jordan Collyer was concerned about whether the project had been cycled through the ORR capital needs process, and the board expressed unease over the potential financial impact a project of this size would have on Mattapoisett, despite of the shared costs.

            “My feeling is, it is going to be a debt service,” Collyer stated two weeks ago, adding, “You do not have the capital in the levy to fund this.”

            A date is pending when a joint meeting between the Finance Committee, Capital Planning, and the ORR Turf Committee may take place. Gagne told the board that a proposed date of April 18 was scuttled due to spring vacation.

            During an April 16 follow-up with Collyer, he said of the ORR Turf Project, “Something has to be done, but not now.”

            For Collyer, the current condition of the athletic fields and other high school facilities may very well need repairs; however, he said, “We’ve been talking to them about maintenance. I don’t know if it’s a lack of money, or management, or whose fault it is, but they (ORR) don’t plan maintenance well.

            “It’s not the right time, and they didn’t follow the Capital Plan Process,” Collyer continued. “They brought in a non-profit group and thrust this upon us.”

            Collyer said the ORR TURF project wasn’t on the high school’s capital list.

            But it is fair, Collyer added, that the project appear on the ballot. But, in Collyer’s opinion, unlike the new fire station, which he said the Town had worked hard to plan for in an effort to keep taxpayer impact negligible, the “fields” project was not put through the same fiscal disciplines.

            “If they had come to us with some offsets that would have helped,” Collyer continued, but he said nothing was offered in terms of how to pay for a bond if one was put in place. “I don’t think the TURF project is one we can push off indefinitely, but we need to see a fully conceived business plan.” 

            Selectman Tyler Macallister told The Wanderer on April 16, “For the record, I’m not against fixing the field and other things, but we have a vetting process. … This circumvented that process.”

            Macallister went on the say that, over the years, selectmen have discussed the condition of the fields and other areas of the school and its property, “But they didn’t listen – it was ignored.

            “We are not a funding source with unlimited funds,” Macallister said. “This was handled poorly … and I don’t ever remember being invited to a meeting with them.”

By Marilou Newell

Poets Perform Their Art

on

            There is something very special about hearing writers, or, more specifically, poets read their own works. By reading words they have imagined to hold a particular flavor, color, thought, or meaning, the listener is invited fully into that moment with the writer. Such was the case on April 15 when a dozen local writers read their works aloud at the Mattapoisett Public Library’s Poetry Open Mic session.

            Each poet was given five minutes to read one or more of their works in front of a very appreciative audience. From the very young to those who have been honing their talent for many years, and all ages in-between, the poets shared their visions, their emotions, their experiences.

            Ellen Flynn broke the ice. Flynn read three works titled “Lonely Turtle Love”, “Mr. Grieve”, and “Almost Pink”. The poems spoke of love, of course, but poets have a unique ability to discuss this most human emotion in ways that sound fresh. That was the case when Flynn read of a bird’s quest to find its lost mate. Of death she wrote, “…Kindness honor birth and death…” and of precious connections, “…If I see the past in your eyes…”

            Meghan Kelly, presently studying at the Museum of Fine Art, read works that spoke of the tragedy of war in Nicaragua – how blood held honor – while war offered no respite. And as she read, one felt the sadness, the futility of taking a human life.

            The theme of war, its fallout, and the suffering of those who are left to remember the fallen, was visited several times during the event.

            John Heavey read a piece that held memories of visiting his grandparents. Heavey honored his grandfather, a man who had been a solider in both WWI and WWII. He reflected on his grandfather’s laughter, a sound he could still clearly hear while wondering, “Did he laugh that way during war?”

            Barbara Despres also wrote of war, of soldiers’ sacrifices, of “hellish places” never forgotten, and of a fallen fighter’s lament from a grave in foreign soil. “How many remember me now?” Despres also wrote from the perspective of a more mature voice in her poem titled, “What Is Life.” In this piece, she asks the reader to allow life to be the total, the sum of all, that “Life is a dream come true.”

            The poets spoke of the ongoing pain associated with losing a loved one, a pain heard in each word they spoke.

            Heidi Dube wrote The Widow’s New Lover with the heart-wrenching conclusion that new love is possible. Love, in its many forms, can merge to become, perhaps, a bit unexpected as she wrote, “The way you love his children.” Truly something any mother would cherish.

            Paul Mercier also wrote of loss through the imagery of a baseball game, of a father whose support has encouraged him throughout life, and whose loss will be felt, not just as nine innings pass, but every time he steps up to the plate of the present.

            Death was a theme visited more than once, but also with a bit of humor as in the words of Liz LaValle when she read that “Death was on Twitter,” as most people are. She also shared a piece titled Gypsy Cousin that evoked the images of gossamer floating in the ether where the future might be conjured through cards.

             There was the joy of birth, as shared by Ann Briggs, who read a piece about the glory of a foal being born. “My knees were shaking more than his.”

            Marybeth Yarmac used the poetic form to share Stories, her memories of a childhood spent in joyful pursuit of bugs and games and the esprit de corps of children. “Stories save our lives,” Yarmac said.

            Theresa Dall shared Scars In The Basement, a piece that spoke of projects completed or left to collect dust like unfinished sentences covered, forgotten in time. She also shared a piece about a much beloved aunt whose presence is still felt and whose “magical suppers” are still tasted. Dall also read a piece that glowed with physical love, with the lights of Paris and the joining where two become one.

            While most of the poems were in the form of imagery, narrative, or blank verse, one poet read her haikus. Brief, slicing to the point or tumbling one syllable to the next, Madeline Cook wrote about a friend lost and another found, of joy balanced by pain, of a mother’s love as faith, and the warmth of being home.

            The event also allowed participants to read the works of other poets. B.J. Nooth read from works written by a Native American poet Joy Harju. She read Speaking Tree and Praise the Rain, in which the latter of the two works is one that compels the reader to find praiseworthy moments in all of life.

            While most of the poets were of a certain age, one proudly shared she was “eight-and-a-half years old.” Penelope “Penny” Angeley read her poem Squirrel. Angeley’s reading was pitch perfect, smooth, and a treat given her stage presence and topic. Her squirrel is imagined through its movement from one season to the next, surviving on nuts in the warmth of a “nest so messy”. There are kites cozy in a corner, and lonely squirrels headed to their drey as winter arrives. And, in case it wasn’t clear, she shared the meaning of “drey”: “It’s a squirrel nest.” Of course!

By Marilou Newell

Richard T. Linhares

on

Richard T. Linhares, 76, of Wareham, formerly of Mattapoisett, passed away at home peacefully in his sleep on Monday April 15, 2019.

            Born in New Bedford, the son of the late Frank J. and Mary (Thomas) Linhares, he lived in Mattapoisett for most of his life before moving to Wareham eight years ago.

            Richard enjoyed attending the Habilitation Assistance Corporation Day Program in Pocasset. He also enjoyed bowling and going to Dunkin Donuts. He was a big Roy Rogers fan.

            He is survived by several nieces and nephews, and his extended family at Comprehensive Mental Health Services.

            His memorial service will be held on Thursday April 25, 2019 at 2 pm at the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Route 6, Mattapoisett, with visitation from 1-2 pm prior to the service. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

Church, DPW Join Scouts for Town Clean Up

on

            The Scouts and their volunteers won’t have to tackle the annual April town-wide cleanup on their own this year, now that the Marion Board of Selectmen on April 16 gave its informal blessing for volunteers from various Marion churches and organizations to join forces with the Department of Public Works (DPW) for the day.

            George Linzee spoke on behalf of the First Congregational Church of Marion, saying the church, along with other locals, wish to volunteer their time to sweep sidewalks still buried beneath the debris of this past winter in preparation for the upcoming spring season. He said the sidewalks on Front Street are where the group specifically wants to target as it makes its way to Washburn Park to meet the rest of the volunteers and Scouts on Saturday, April 27.

            The plan is to sweep away the sand, stone, gravel, sticks, and trash form the sidewalks, Linzee said, “For safety reasons, but also for aesthetic reasons. … This is our [neighborhood] and it’s getting to that time of the season when we’re going to be having guests.”

            Linzee said the debris on the sidewalks flushing into the harbor with stormwater is also of concern.

            He said volunteers would meet in the parking lot of the Benjamin D. Cushing Community Center that morning, and their efforts will be reported to the DPW throughout the day in order to coordinate street sweepers to follow after them. He also hopes the DPW can offer up some extra brooms and shovels if needed.

            “Thank you for taking the initiative in doing something like this,” Board of Selectmen Chairman Norm Hills said.

            In other matters, the board will have to reschedule a meeting with Finance Committee Chairman Peter Winters, Open Space Acquisition Commission Chairman John Rockwell, and ZBA Chairman Marc LeBlanc to discuss video recording and televising their meetings. None of the gentlemen could make it that evening.

            The selectmen back in January asked the chairmen of these three boards to begin televising their meetings, but to this day none of them have acquiesced to the selectmen’s request, which Hills stated during the board’s last meeting two weeks ago, “Was not a suggestion,” but rather an order.

            In other business, the newly hired town administrator, James “Jay” McGrail, sat in on the meeting shadowing retiring Town Administrator Paul Dawson, during which the selectmen approved and ratified McGrail’s employment contract.

            Before adjourning, Selectman John Waterman suggested an additional discussion with the Finance Committee to discuss each other’s expectations.

            “There were some areas in the past when they had expectations of us that we haven’t met,” said Waterman. “If we don’t know [what those are], how are we going to meet them?”

            Also during the meeting, the board scheduled a special meeting for a public discussion of the Annual Town Meeting Warrant and the proposed fiscal year 2020 operating budget on Thursday, April 18, at 7:00 pm at the Marion Music Hall, 465 Front Street.

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

Marion Board of Selectmen

By Jean Perry

Rochester Council on Aging

on

Mike & Ann’s Special Luncheon is scheduled for Monday, April 29at 12:00 pm. Mike & Ann will prepare a delicious lunch. All are welcome to attend. Please make reservations no later than one day in advance. An anonymous donation of $5.00 will be collected. 

            Join us for a fun day of shopping at the Wrentham Premium Outlets and lunch at The Cracker Barrel on Tuesday, April 23. We plan to leave Rochester at 8:30 am and will return around 4:00 pm. Give us a call to make your reservation. Don’t forget, per the new policy, a $5.00 donation is needed to save your seat on the van. 

            The Senator’s Office will be at the Senior Center on Wednesday, April 24from 12:00 pm -2:00 pm to answer your questions and discuss your political concerns. Take this opportunity to make your voice heard. Appointments are not necessary. 

            There is a Sea Glass Fundraiser on Saturday, April 27at 1:00 pm. The cost is $40.00. All supplies will be provided. Come and make a special gift for yourself or a friend. 

            Buy a Brick Fundraiser. The Friends of the Rochester Senior Center, Inc. has an on-going fundraiser to raise money for an addition to the Rochester Senior Center. This addition will be the home for the Senior Supportive Day Care Program. The Senior Supportive Day Care Program will provide services that are designed for older adults who require supervised care during the day. Adult Day Care programs enable seniors to socialize and enjoy planned activities in a group setting. Engraved memorial bricks will be used in the walkway and entrance to the addition. Small bricks are $50.00, and large bricks are $100.00. Applications for the bricks are available at the front desk of the Senior Center. 

            Rides: We provide free transportation for Rochester residents. Please call for a ride with one of our friendly drivers at least 24 hours in advance so we can schedule a driver.

            Rides to medical appointments in Boston and Providence: Medical transportation to Boston or Providence is available for $5.00 via a grant program made available by Coastline Services. Call 508-992-5978 at least 2 weeks in advance.

            Please contact us at the Senior Center at 508-763-8723 for more information or to make reservations for rides and/or events. 

World Laughter Day

on

May 5will be the first annual World Laughter Day (WLD) to be held at the Buzzards Bay Park from 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm. World Laughter Day was started in 1998 by Dr. Madan Katari in India. The purpose of WLD is to spread world peace through laughter. Laughter does not cost a dime and the health benefits are numerous. This is a free event. Please bring water as laughter can be dehydrating.

ORRHS Junior is Miss Massachusetts’ Outstanding Teen

on

Rachel Michelle-Marie Perry of New Bedford, a 17-year old junior at Old Rochester Regional High School, was named Miss Massachusetts’ Outstanding Teen 2019. The 20th annual pageant was held on Sunday, April 7at the Keith Middle School in New Bedford. Fourteen contestants from across the Commonwealth competed for the title and $6,800 was awarded to the contestants in scholarships. Jordan St. Onge of Acushnet, the outgoing titleholder, crowned her successor before a crowd of almost 400 attendees.

            Perry, who competed as an At-Large contestant, will compete at the Miss America’s Outstanding Teen pageant in July in Orlando, Fla. As Miss Massachusetts’ Outstanding Teen, she will receive $3,000 in scholarships and various awards and gifts from pageant sponsors. At the national pageant, she will win a minimum of a $1,000 scholarship with the opportunity to compete for thousands more. Perry will dedicate her year of service to her personal platform, “Healing Song: The Power of Music to Restore the Brain”, which promotes the use of music therapy with sports and recreation-related concussion patients, mild traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) patients, and individuals with dementia and Alzheimers. Rachel is currently working with her school nurse to develop a program to provide music therapy as a treatment for concussions. She has presented on this topic to various state-wide groups, including the Massachusetts Medical Assistants Association. In addition to the $3,000 scholarship for placing first, she received an additional $300 in scholarships for winning the Overall Talent Award, Scholastic Award, and Evening Wear/On Stage Question Award. She will also promote the Miss America’s Outstanding Teen’s national platform, the Children’s Miracle Network. At the state competition, the 14 contestants collectively raised over $12,000 for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and the designated state hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital.

            At Old Rochester High, Rachel is currently ranked first in her class and is enrolled in all Honors and 4 Advanced Placement courses. She is a member of the National Honor Society and as a dual enrollment student, has a 4.0 GPA in her college courses. She is a National Merit Semifinalist and is on the dean’s list. Rachel has been accepted to Cornell University as a junior, but will defer entry until the fall of 2020 in order to fulfill her obligations as Miss Massachusetts’ Outstanding Teen. Her accomplishments outside of the classroom are many. She is a multi-sport athlete, member of the Student Council, active in St. John Neuman’s parish. She has also produced and performed musical productions at many local nursing facilities throughout the Greater New Bedford Area. An accomplished musician, Rachel plays twelve instruments. She is the daughter of Deborah and Mark Perry of New Bedford. For the talent portion of the competition, she performed an energetic and entertaining Rock Fiddle performance to Aerosmith’s Walk This Way.

Pickles Pleads ‘Not Guilty’ to Criminal Charges

on

            Ray Pickles pleaded not guilty to six charges of Larceny over $250 during his arraignment at the Plymouth County Superior Court in Brockton on Friday, April 12.

            The 85-year-old Marion town clerk is facing criminal charges related to his former position as executive director of the Carver, Marion, Wareham Regional Refuse Disposal District (CMWRRDD), and stands accused of stealing over $610,000 from the District over six years.

            Standing in the courtroom with his hands clasped in front of him, smiling slightly and looking less frail than he has during other recent public appearances, Pickles stated “not guilty” to each of the six criminal counts brought against him by the Attorney General’s Office.

            Special Assistant Attorney General John Brooks, the main prosecutor of the case, said one criminal count relates to an account with Rockland Trust Bank that Pickles opened on behalf of the District, from which he made 269 cash withdrawals totaling $306,000.

            “It was, essentially, a secret account,” said Brooks, of which neither the District’s board or the District’s bookkeeper was aware.

            Brooks stated that Pickles opened another similar account with Eastern Bank, from which he stole $65,000 in checks Pickles wrote out to himself and, from a third account, Pickles allegedly wrote himself 43 checks totaling $35,000.

            Pickles is also accused of billing the District for work that he did not perform, and allegedly billed Barden’s Boat Yard on behalf of the District for fuel that Pickles used for his own private boat.

            When Brooks asked the judge to move with the case on track “C”, the track that most murder, kidnapping, manslaughter, and rape cases are assigned, the judge asked him if he was sure, given that with track C it could take up to three years for the case to go to trial. Brooks confirmed his preference, saying that there was a significant number of documents involved in the discovery process, but Brooks added that he thinks it might not take quite as long as three years.

            A pre-trial hearing was scheduled for June 6 at the Plymouth County Superior Court in Plymouth.

            Robert Tinkham Jr., 57, was also arraigned on his two criminal counts – one for Larceny over $250 and one for Presentation of False Claims.

            Tinkham is accused of accepting $50,000 in payments authorized by Pickles for work that was never performed. At the time, Tinkham was the chairman of the District’s board, as well as the health agent for the Town of Carver.

            Tinkham’s case is also slated for Track C, with a pre-trial conference set for the same date as Pickles’.

            Pickles, Tinkham, and Pickles’ wife, Diane Bondi-Pickles, are all defendants in a civil lawsuit filed by the CMWRRDD last year. In his defense, Pickles blamed the financial discrepancies on his age, stating in his response to the civil complaint, “In recent years, due to my age and limited professional support, my record keeping has not been what it was during my time as Town Manager in Marion and during my early years with the CMWRRDD.”

            Pickles was the executive secretary for Marion for nearly 30 years until he retired in 2001.

            He further stated in his response to the civil complaint, “I deny the alleged wrongdoing. I believe that all of my actions were taken in the best interests of the CMWRRDD.”

            Pickles also served as the Town’s zoning enforcement officer some years back, and was also an elected member of the Board of Assessors until 2018 when he lost his reelection attempt amidst the controversy. He remains Marion’s elected town clerk, and his term does not expire until 2020.

            The Board of Selectmen sent a letter to Pickles on April 2 asking him to resign in light of the Attorney General’s indictment. Outside the Brockton courthouse, The Wanderer asked Pickles if he was considering a resignation as requested by the selectmen.

            “No comment,” said Pickles’ attorney, State Representative Chris Markey.

By Jean Perry

Marion Cemetery Plot Owners

on

The Cemetery Commissioners (CC) would like to remind plot owners in the Town of Marion of some of the procedures and policies to be followed in all town cemeteries.

            Annual flowers are allowed, but must be planted in a flowerbed, not to exceed 12” from the marker.

            Holiday baskets, pots, and flowers placed at a gravesite may be removed and disposed of after 14 days if not picked up by owner. Artificial flowers, Christmas decorations, greens, or ornaments may be used November 1- March 1 only, after which they should be removed by owner. Bird feeders are also not allowed as they create nuisances for neighboring headstones.

All plants must be miniature or dwarf species and the CC reserves the right to remove or prune any overgrown plantings. 

            Permanent decorations and/or benches must be approved by the CC.

            With these policies in mind, work will be taking place in the cemeteries (starting with Evergreen) to clean up and remove “volunteer” plantings such as yucca, cherry, oak, and bittersweet and any plantings that obscure a headstone. Fallen or leaning headstones are also going to be repaired.

            Your cooperation is greatly appreciated and any questions can be directed to the DPW.