Bruce C. Hardy

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Bruce C. Hardy, 73, of Acushnet passed away May 17, 2018 at St. Luke’s Hospital. He was the husband of Amelia A. “Amy” (Calouro) Hardy.

Mr. Hardy was born in New Bedford, son of the late Curtis S., Jr. and Anita L. (Dupre) Hardy. He was a skilled mason and a member of Bricklayers Local 3 until his retirement. He enjoyed socializing with his many friends, fishing, golfing and loved his dogs, Sophie and Zoey.

In addition to his widow, he is survived by 2 daughters: Tena Collyer (her husband, Dana) and Jill Muldoon (her husband, Michael, Jr.); a step-daughter: Stephanie Gonsalves (her husband, Joel); one grandson: Grady Muldoon; a brother: Curtis S. Hardy III (his wife, Lynne), a niece; a nephew; and several cousins.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend at Celebration of Life at the First Congregational Church of Fairhaven, 34 Center Street, Fairhaven on June 23, 2018 at 10:00 am.

Mattapoisett Road Race

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The Mattapoisett Road Race will take place at 9:00 am on Wednesday, July 4. The race is a great way to celebrate Independence Day. The course winds through picturesque Mattapoisett village, around fabled Ned’s Point Lighthouse and back to Shipyard Park at the town wharf. Race proceeds are awarded to college bound ORRHS runners. The race starts and finishes at Shipyard Park, and the course is 5 miles through Mattapoisett with splits at each mile and water throughout. Enter online at www.mattapoisettroadrace.com. All entry fees are non-refundable.

Mattapoisett Yacht Club Begins its 2018 Season

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The Mattapoisett Yacht Club is about to kick off its 2018 season with a variety of boating and social events. The annual skippers’ meeting on Saturday, June 2 is the first official event where skippers of both racing and cruising boats gather to review schedules for the upcoming season. Immediately after the skippers’ meeting, there will be a “Stir-it-Up” cocktail party. Stir-it-up cocktail parties are individual member sponsored cocktail parties for MYC members and guests. The June 2 event is sponsored by the McGowan family in honor of Sue McGowan, one of the Yacht Club’s most celebrated members who passed away this spring. Beverages are compliments of the host; guests are invited to bring appetizers.

The following week, the Club begins its sailboat racing season with the first race of the June series for the Ensign class on Tuesday, June 5 and a practice race for the PHRF Handicap fleets on Wednesday, June 6. The annual cookout is scheduled for Friday, June 8 at the Club. This event is the night prior to the MYC sponsored Spring Round-the-Bay Race. So, in addition to being the Club’s official kick-off to the 2018 season, all visiting skippers and crew participating in the Spring Round-the-Bay Race on Saturday, June 9 are also invited. The MYC Spring Round-the-Bay Race is the first of a 6-race series to determine the overall winner of the Buzzards Bay Trophy. (See press release “The 2018 Buzzards Bay Trophy”).

The MYC 2018 Season will include four weekend cruises for both power and sail and a week-long cruise to Block Island in July. MYC will host the Ensign Regional Championship on July 21-22. Guests are welcome to all MYC events and races are open to members and non-members. There are numerous opportunities to participate in both boating and social events. For a calendar of 2018 events and for more information, visit the website at matttapoisettyc.org.

Memorial Day in Marion

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It was a cold and windy early-summer morning in Marion on Monday, May 28, as crowds of onlookers came to pay their respects and observe the annual parade this Memorial Day. Gathering outside of the Marion Music Hall located on Front Street, flocks of locals and parade-walkers came together in remembrance of America’s fallen heroes.

The Sippican School Band kicked off the proceedings just shy of 9:00 am, executing a handful of songs with dexterity and ease. Much to the delight of the crowd, the elementary school students dazzled all in attendance with their impressive renditions.

Shortly thereafter, Captain Andrew Bonney of the Massachusetts Air National Guard gave his introduction as master of ceremonies. After giving a short speech and thanking all for coming out on a crisp, cloudy Memorial Day morning, Captain Bonney handed the microphone over to a number of speakers and performers preceding the march down Front Street.

Reverend MaryAnn Purtill of the First Congregational Church of Marion was the first to speak, giving kind words for our fallen soldiers and reminding us to “…Accept the gift of their sacrifice with humble hearts.” Following her brief monologue was RMS student Brianna Lynch singing “God Bless America,” ORR senior Jack Roussell reciting “The Gettysburg Address,” ORR Junior High School student Haley Cohen reading a proclamation from Governor Charlie Baker, and the Portuguese American Band performing “America the Beautiful.”

Soon after the pleasant and concise performances, Captain Bonney declared, “Parade marchers, please fall in,” commencing Marion’s Memorial Day Parade march.

After solemnly, yet proudly walking the 0.6 mile walk up Front Street to the Veteran’s Memorial at Old Landing, marchers, families, and friends filed in as the keynote speaker of the morning, Lt. Col. Jeremy W. Beaven, a Bronze Star recipient, prepared to give his address.

Lt. Col. Beaven gave an immensely heartfelt speech. He acknowledged that we all live busy, bustling lives, but reminded the audience how paramount it is to take a moment of reflection and gratitude for those who gave their lives in order to protect our freedom.

“It’s important we pause and think about those ideals and sacrifices,” Beaven said.

While it would have been exceedingly easy to recite a somewhat glum monologue given today’s political climate, Beaven held an upbeat and hopeful tone throughout.

“I encourage you to pursue more than just the nine to five, the money that you make to put food on the table,” he said. “I encourage you to pursue those things that you’re passionate about, that bring you joy, that bring a smile to your face.”

Beaven’s speech was an uplifting breath of fresh air, a buoyant prompting that we should be thankful for the lives that we’re allowed to live because of those heroes who protect our country day in and day out.

Following Beaven’s speech, master of ceremonies Captain Bonney announced the closing rituals. Three Marion selectmen placed a wreath adjacent to the Veteran’s Memorial, concluding the annual event.

On an overcast and chilly Memorial Day morning, local families and veterans were able to congregate and collectively pay their respects to our fallen soldiers, finding a little bit of sunshine and solace on a rather doleful day.

By Caleb Jagoda

Marion Finds Temporary Recycling Solution

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The Town of Marion has found a company to temporarily receive its recyclables after its contracted company, WeCare Environmental, abruptly suspended its contract while it moves its Taunton facility to a new site in Middleboro.

According to Department of Public Works Administrative Assistant Rebecca Tilden, the Town will continue to collect residents’ curbside recycling and deliver it to New Bedford Waste Services in Rochester, managed by Casella Waste Systems, Inc.

“Nothing changes,” said Tilden. “Currently, we’re still collecting curbside.”

Back on May 7, Town Administrator Paul Dawson said WeCare Environmental gave the Town a sudden notice that for the next few months WeCare would not receive recyclables from Marion as it relocates to its new location.

“They should be back up and running within a couple of months,” said Tilden.

The City of Taunton, however, was given notice just days ago that as of June 1, WeCare would terminate its contract and no longer collect or receive recyclable materials from the City of Taunton.

Taunton recently implemented its new automated recycling collection program and issued residents their new 96-gallon blue carts just weeks ago.

The temporary suspension of its contract with WeCare is not the only problem facing Marion pertaining to recycling. Residents are putting high quantities of dirty and unwashed recyclable containers and items into the bins, a nation-wide problem that, at the local level, means higher costs to dispose of the materials and possibly more materials heading to regional landfills instead of being processed and re-used.

The nation’s largest buyer of recyclable materials, China, now refuses the bulk of recyclable materials from the United States due to the high contamination levels of unwashed plastic and grease-tainted paper products, leading municipalities across the country scurrying to find solutions to improper recycling habits and the high cost to dispose of the materials, especially in states like Massachusetts where municipalities are mandated by the Department of Environmental Protection to recycle.

“It’s the issue all towns are having,” said Tilden. “It’s a lot of dirty recycling. That’s the issue right now, and that’s really hard to take care of.”

In addition to dirty materials, Marion residents are tossing too many non-recyclables into their bins, which slows down the sorting and processing of the materials and leads to equipment shutdowns and, with enough unrecyclable and contaminated materials, could result in rejection of the Town’s recyclables – consequences that could mean DEP enforcement actions, along with those increased costs to dispose of the material.

If you have questions about what is recyclable and what is not, call the DPW office directly at 508-748-3540.

By Jean Perry

A Closer Look at the Gender Politics Club

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Regardless of your political or personal beliefs, the Gender Politics Club (GP for short) is a safe place where any and all opinions are welcomed and appreciated. The club, completing its first year as an official group, was founded by students Kelly Bruce, Bella Rodriguez, and Katie Maclean, along with teacher Andrew Apperson.

            The club, according to Maclean, was founded because “We thought ORR should have a club or a community where you can express opinions and ideas, no matter what you like or who you vote for, regardless of party.”

            Maclean and Apperson would like to stress that the club is not exclusive and that everyone is welcome to join.

            The club’s usual activities include conversations about current events, debates, and presentations on various topics. They even prepared TedX Talks for the students to listen to.

            “We love having debates, especially with people with different political viewpoints and different opinions on each issue,” said Maclean.

            Without funding, the club bases most of their meetings inside either the school’s library or Apperson’s classroom. Independently, many members of the club arranged to meet up at Boston’s Women’s March 2018 on January 21, bringing with them their signs and spirit. The students in the club wish to do more of these activities next year.

            Although they have leaned towards feminism this year, with the #MeToo and #Time’sUP hashtag social media movements, the club covers various other topics as well, including mental health in relation to gender and gender roles in films.

            Payton Lord, freshman and next year’s club representative, explained one of many characters that the club discussed. She said Ursula, from the movie The Little Mermaid, “…is made to be fat and ugly and that’s not how people should be portrayed. They used her physical appearance to show the fact that she is an evil character.”

            According to Apperson, he would like to see the club focus more on activism next year and have the students become more involved with the world around them.

            “I would also like to pair up with the GSA (Gay Straight Alliance) and other clubs in the school for various things if possible,” Apperson said. “Mr. Allain and I were discussing the possibility of some sort of connection between the Sci-Fi Club and Gender Politics.”

            With most of the club consisting of seniors and freshman, they are hoping to gain new members from the incoming freshman and from current students.

            When asked whether or not he believes the club is a confidence builder, Apperson proudly said, “Absolutely. I have a freshman this year who is going to be a club leader next year. As a sophomore, she’s going to be leading and running the club.” He continued, “I have seen people become empowered and find their voice very early on in high school.”

            “It was a great experience, and everybody was really passionate and really enjoyed it,” said Maclean. Although she is a senior, she has high hopes for the club’s future. “It doesn’t matter … your political views or where you stand on gender issues. Gender politics is a place to educate yourself.”

            Lord added “Even if you don’t necessarily agree with what we are talking about, come to a meeting and talk to us about how you feel about it. Talk to us about your questions and your standpoints.”

            While the club has ended for the year, Apperson and the Gender Politics Club invite you to join them next year.

ORR Update

By Grace Mastroianni

Rochester Pauses to Remember

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As spirited tiny Cub Scouts scampered about the grounds of Rochester’s Town Hall on May 27, older kids and adults quietly waited for the Memorial Day service to begin.

The joyful sounds from the children mixed with birdsong and misty cool air as the skies darkened, threatening to rain on the annual parade. But the weather held off long enough for the citizens of this quintessential New England community to honor their servicemen and women, past and present.

Opening the ceremony with a prayer by Reverend Robert Ripley, pastor of the First Congregational Church of Rochester, there followed the “Star Spangled Banner” beautifully played by music students from the Rochester Memorial School Band under the direction of Christine Williamson before the parade marched towards Daggett Square.

Participants in the parade included members of the Army JROTC Battalion from New Bedford High School, whose crisp attention at the head of the assembled set the tone for the youngsters following behind. Asked what this day meant to them, members of the Army JROTC unit easily replied.

“It symbolizes freedom … that should be treasured,” Joseph Kingara said.

Army JROTC Commander Zachery O’Brien thought it was a time to remember, “…To think about those who have fought and died … to pay respect.”

Jose Correjo added, “It’s a way to respect their sacrifice.” Unit member Natasha Perez agreed.

Members of Girl Scout Troop 81001 concurred that Memorial Day was a day of remembrance, a day set aside from all other days specifically to honor those who had served.

Board of Selectmen Chairman Greenwood Hartley III thanked veterans around the globe, saying it was not by luck that we enjoyed freedom but by the sacrifice of others.

At Daggett Square, Selectmen Paul Ciaburri and Bradford Morse joined Hartley in reading aloud the names of servicemen and women, names forever emblazoned on the memorial tablet that graces the tiny square.

The selectmen also remembered W. Becket Kiernan, whose recent passing shortly after joining the U.S. Marine Corps had been felt throughout the Tri-Town area. Kiernan was remembered as a talented and courageous young man who had dreamed of serving his nation as a Marine. A moment of silence punctuated those comments.

The ceremony included the reading of names, those who were enlisted in the military from the Civil War through to more recent global events such as Vietnam and Desert Storm.

Returning to the Town Hall Civil War monument located just beyond the building’s entranceway, State Representative William M. Straus added his voice in commemorating the day.

“All I can really say is the most important words have already been spoken, the names of the people who served…” he said. “When we endure the inconvenience of weather, it is nothing,” when compared to those who have served.

Jennifer Williams, Project 351 ambassador, also spoke. Project 351 is a program first introduced by former Governor Deval Patrick and continued by Governor Charles Baker that engages eighth-grade students from throughout the 351 cities and towns in the commonwealth in civic activities. Williams read a proclamation from Governor Baker that was preceded by the reading of the Gettysburg Address by Boy Scout Michael Ebey of Troop 31.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, the community was invited to enjoy refreshments inside away from the cold wet day. As the Cub Scouts pounded up the steps, one Scout from Pack 30 said to another, “That was important.” Out of the mouth of babes.

By Marilou Newell

OC Softball and Another Shot at State Tournament

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Last year, Old Colony softball ran into a force against the seventh-seeded East Bridgewater and fell 13-1. But East Bridgewater has now moved up to Division 2 for this year’s MIAA State Tournament.

            And Old Colony (12-6) has learned from the experience. Additionally, while the Cougars await the seeding announcement on June 5, head coach Brandon Mendez is putting in some research so he and his players have an idea of what to expect heading into the postseason.

            “We’re a little bit above the middle of the pack of Division 3,” Mendez said. “So we’re hoping for a home game. There are certain Division 3 teams that are loaded. There are some teams at the top that are going to be very hard to beat. In the middle of the pack, there are some teams that are very comparable to us.”

            The long layoff is another thing the Cougars have to deal with. They have the State Vocational Tournament in between their last regular season game – a 5-1 win over Southeastern – but even then there’s still the potential for a week without game play. The softball seeding won’t come out until Tuesday, which likely means Old Colony’s first game will be on Thursday.

            This is all a result of the early season inclement weather, and Old Colony is one of the few softball programs locally to have everything all wrapped up. So Mendez is doing what he can to ensure his players get some simulated work in addition to the standard practices.

            “You couldn’t predict the weather,” Mendez said. “With the state tournament moving the games back … we got lucky, our field is great and we got all our games in on time. We got lucky because I know there are teams out there scrambling to get three or four games in this week. Which is something our athletic director (Matt Trahan) and myself were adamant about playing whenever we could so we didn’t run into that.

            “I have a couple calls out, depending on where things lie the rest of this week, early next week, we may match up with someone to get a good co-practice and scrimmage in,” continued Mendez.

            This has given the Cougars a chance to ease back in their starting pitcher, Emily Littles, who missed a week, which included two games, due to illness.

            “We kind of went slow with her,” Mendez said. “We did have her bat last game, even though she’s normally our No. 3 hitter. So we have taken it slow.”

            Littles returned to the mound on Thursday against Southeastern and went the distance, allowing only one run on three hits, while striking out five in the win, No. 11 for her on the year. Littles has also been a force at the plate, hitting .528 out of the third spot in the order for Old Colony. She’s also scored 14 runs and knocked in 13.

            She only trailed Hannah L’Heureuxin average (.554) by season’s end. L’Heureux led the team with eight doubles and five triples. She was also third in RBI (21) to Mikayla Murray(22) and Te-Lynn Layton(24), and second in runs scored (28) to Kat Kirby(29). Kirby also led the Cougars with three home runs. She also hit .452.

            “They’re excited,” Mendez said about his players. “We kind of talked about it at practice tail end of last week and on Memorial Day. Kind of talked about how it’s a different season, but that we’re still out here to have fun, work hard and put our best effort out there. We actually had a great practice the other day, so it’s very encouraging.”

Old Rochester

Meg Hugheshad herself a day at the MIAA East Division 4 track and field championship, winning the 400 meter dash (5.28), winning the 4×400 meter relay with Rachel Fantoni, Lea Bourgeoisand Caroline Murphy(4:07.19), and finishing second in the 1-mile run (5:18.38).

The 4×800 meter relay team – Emma Carroll, Madisen Martin, Samantha Balland Sydney Green– also won at the championship with a 10:03.16 time.

Old Rochester girls’ track and field finished fourth overall at the tournament with 59 points.

On the boys’ side of the meet, Harry Smithfinished third in the 110-meter hurdles (15.37 second)). He was also a part of the second place 4×100 meter relay unit (44.14 seconds), which also included Matt Brogioli, Anthony Childsand Will Garcia.

Old Rochester boys’ track and field finished tied for seventh overall at the tournament with 27 points.

High School Sports Update

By Nick Friar

Sunday Stroll in Marion

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Get outside and take a Sunday Stroll with the Buzzards Bay Coalition and Southcoast Health at the White Eagle Parcel of Aucoot Woods (52 Old Indian Trail, Marion), on June 3at 10:00 am. During this leisurely one-hour walk through the woods, you’ll get some fresh air and exercise while learning how to maintain a healthy, active lifestyle.

Participants can take in the rich diversity of the 248-acre White Eagle Parcel, including upland pine, mixed hardwood forest, shrub and wooded swamp, and freshwater marsh habitats.

Sunday Strolls are a monthly series of free mid-morning walks, led by a Buzzards Bay Coalition environmental educator and health professionals from Southcoast Health. The next Sunday Stroll will take place on July 8 at the CoveWalk in New Bedford.

To RSVP for this walk, visit http://www.savebuzzardsbay.org/events/sunday-stroll-white-eagle-jun-03-2018/ or contact the Buzzards Bay Coalition at 508-999-6363 ext. 219.

This walk is part of Discover Buzzards Bay, a resource to find unique and exciting ways to explore the outdoors, get some exercise, and connect with nature. 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.

Mattapoisett Congregational Church Scholarship

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Candace “Lee” Heald, a member of the Memorials & Celebrations Committee of the Mattapoisett Congregational Church, had the pleasure of introducing this year’s scholarship recipients, Megan Field and Freemin Bauer, during worship on Sunday, May 6, 2018. Both Freemin and Megan are graduating seniors from Old Rochester Regional High School and members of the Church, which made the announcement especially exciting.

Freemin Bauer, son of Michael & Jodi Bauer of Mattapoisett, has been described as “motivated, tenacious and, above all, kind and respectful.” Freemin earned his Eagle, the Boy Scouts highest honor, last spring by fixing-up Fairhaven’s dog shelter. In order to accomplish the project, he needed to raise money, so he initiated the “Mattapoisett Dog Walk-a-thon.” Freemin has been active in many public service/volunteer projects including the shellfish propagation project for the town of Mattapoisett, set-up and clean-up at the Woman’s Club Taste of the Town, Lion’s Club Sunday breakfasts, Earth Day, and Harbor Days. Freemin will attend Bristol Community College in the fall.

Megan Field, daughter of Bob & Kim Field also of Mattapoisett, is the recipient of the Dagmar Coquillette Memorial Scholarship. In her essay, Megan wrote about the life-changing mission trip she took, along with 20 other volunteers from MCC, to the Appalachian Mountains in Georgia. They traveled into the mountains and brought food, books, games and laughter to Guatemalan immigrants who did not have much except the clothes on their backs and a roof over their heads. Megan wants to use technology as a way to help improve the lives of others, about which she is passionate. Megan is an all-star athlete on the ORR swim team, serving as captain in her junior and senior years. She has volunteered at “Gifts to Give” for three years and “Mercy Meals and More” for two years. Megan will attend the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

The service was followed by a brief reception for family and friends of the scholarship winners with cake and punch in Reynard Hall.