Thank You

on

To the Editor:

The Rochester Historical Society would like to thank all the individuals who donated items to our recent yard sale. A huge ‘Thank You’ as well to those who stopped at the Museum to make our fundraiser a great success. Thanks.

Edyie Johnson

 

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

Marion Natural History Museum

on

Join us Wednesday afternoons this summer for nature programs with the Marion Natural History Museum from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Cost is $24/each program for members; $30/each program for non-members.

July 12: Children’s Nature Journaling Workshop. Learn the art of observation with Artist and Naturalist Tricia Cassady. This is a great way to introduce the students to the world of journaling. We will make a small sketch book and then go outside to learn different ways to observe and draw from nature.

July 19: Rain Gutter Regatta with engineer Mark Whalen. Participants will be developing a vessel to “race the clock” as well as each other. The program includes pre-event discussion and demonstration of sailboat engineering and design: buoyancy, stability, lift and drag forces. Program is limited, so please register early!

July 26: Tour of Bird Island with Carolyn Mostello, biologist with the MA Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Marion Harbormaster. We will be learning a little about the birds that need the island for nesting and the important habitat restoration work that has been done to the island over the winter. This program has limited space, so please register early!

August 2: Exploring Fresh Water ecosystems at Washburn Park. We’ll be exploring vernal pools, woods and bogs. We’ll spend the afternoon looking at plants and soils, netting amphibians and fish, and looking for birds and signs of other types of wildlife.

August 9: Exploring soils with USDA soil scientist Maggie Payne. Come and learn about the soil beneath your feet. We will conduct experiments to determine different soil types, explore the life in the soil, and learn about what makes and keeps soil healthy and productive.

Coastal Explorations: July 10 – July 21, 9:00 am – noon, Monday – Friday. This program will feature explorations of our rocky inter-tidal shoreline, salt marshes, estuaries as well as freshwater riverbanks, swamps, ponds and bogs. Daily we will take trips to look for the birds, amphibians, fish and invertebrates that make these areas so special. For students entering grades 3-5. The fee for our Coastal Exploration Program is $200 for museum members, $250 for non-members, and registration is limited to 15.

All of these programs are designed to be small groups, and registration is limited. To register for any of these programs please go to www.marionmuseum.org, fill out the registration or submit the form with payment to: Marion Natural History Museum, 8 Spring Street, Marion, MA 02738. Please call the museum if you have any questions at 508-748-2098, and please visit the museum during our open hours this summer.

ConCom Approves Two, Continues Two

on

The Marion Conservation Commission on May 24 gave the OK for one Request for Determination of Applicability and one Notice of Intent, but they continued two other hearings in order to gather further information and documents.

Barrett and Virginia Levenson received an Order of Conditions for their project at Cross Neck Road to construct a single-family house, barn, and boathouse. One special condition was that the Levensons do not disturb the area 15 feet before the wetlands and honor the wetlands line in lieu of the placement of boulders to mark the 15-foot buffer.

The commission gave a Negative 3 Determination (a Notice of Intent Not Required) for Deborah Giokas to construct a garage and a mudroom at 16 Rocky Knook Lane. The commission stipulated that an existing shed, which sits on the location slated for the garage, may not be relocated into the habitat area on the property without an independent filing of a Notice of Intent with the commission.

The public hearing for the Marion Open Space Acquisition Commission was continued until June 14. The application for a RDA to conduct invasive species control did not include a plan; therefore, the commission continued the hearing and requested someone from MOSAC to appear to present and discuss the plan.

The public hearing for N. George and Lori Host at 456 Point Road was also continued until June 14 so the applicants could submit a revised plan for a revised plan. The Hosts were required as per a prior Order of Conditions to place boulders and plantings along the wetlands line at the property, but the Order of Conditions expired before all the work could be completed. The commission questioned the Hosts’ selection of bayberry bushes for the location, since the species would not thrive in a wetlands area, preferring full sun with well-drained soils. The Hosts may choose to plant the bayberry shrubs 18 inches upland from the boulders, but they must return with a revised plan showing the change.

The next meeting of the Marion Conservation Commission is scheduled for June 14 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Music Hall. All meetings are scheduled for the music hall for the summer until September.

Marion Conservation Commission

By Jean Perry

2017 Scholarship Winners Announced

on

Sunday, May 21 was ‘Scholarship Sunday’ at the Mattapoisett Congregational Church. Members of the Memorials & Celebrations Committee introduced three exceptional young people during worship, all graduating seniors from Old Rochester Regional High School.

Griffin Dunn, Mattapoisett, was the recipient of the Women’s Community Guild Scholarship. He has been an ‘on-stage techie’ in the drama club throughout high school. He has served as an AmbassadOR during his junior and senior years. In addition to his in-school activities, Griffin has volunteered in numerous settings, including the Mattapoisett Free Public Library, and has accrued a total of 350 community service hours. Griffin will attend Emmanuel College in the fall.

Kathleen Gifford, Rochester, is a young woman with a clear goal. “As soon as I heard Wheelock College’s social mission ‘to improve the lives of children and families,’ I knew I had found where I belonged.” Katie has managed a challenging academic schedule with a myriad of extra-curricular activities. But what she holds most near and dear is her involvement in community service. Kathleen will pursue dual majors in psychology and early childhood development.

Jonathan Kvilhaug, Mattapoisett, aspires to change the world. He is interested in pursuing an undergraduate degree in history, in order to prepare for a career in law. Jonathan has earned a myriad of academic achievement awards and his contributions to ORR’s performing arts – concert band, chorus and drama – are exceptional. He was selected for Boys State; he is captain of the cross country/spring track team. Jonathan will be attending George Washington University.

Maxxon Wolski, Mattapoisett, the recipient of the Dagmar Coquillette Memorial Scholarship, was unable to attend Sunday’s celebration. He will be introduced to the congregation and receive his scholarship certificate on June 11.

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

Adelaide E. Mullen

on

“Our Savior, Jesus Christ, has destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel. Let us remember with thanksgiving what God has done through His servant Adelaide.

Adelaide E. Mullen, daughter of William and Elsie Dyke, was born in Regina Saskatchewan, Canada on Nov. 19th, 1939, and was baptized into the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit on December 10th, 1939. She confessed her baptismal faith in the rite of Confirmation on September 7th, 1952, and received the medicine of immortality, Christ’s life-giving Body and Blood. Adelaide was joined together in holy matrimony to Peter on August 20th, 1972. On May 31st, 2017, Adelaide, at the age of 77, fell asleep in Jesus. She is survived by her husband, Peter, her brothers, Gerry and Lorne, and her sisters, Gertie and Marlene.

Adelaide worked joyfully for many years in intensive care nursing, always seeking to serve where people needed the most care. At home, she loved to play the piano, to sing, and was a vigorous reader. She will be deeply missed by all those whose lives she has touched.
The Lord gives and the Lord takes away; blessed be the Name of the Lord. We give thanks to God our Father through Jesus Christ, our Lord, for our sister, Adelaide.”

Her visiting hours will be held on Tuesday from 4-7 PM in the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Route 6, Mattapoisett. Her Funeral Service will be held on Wednesday at 10 AM in the Lutheran Church of The Way, 110 Robinson St., Raynham. Burial will follow in Pine Grove Cemetery, Westboro. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

Addiction Support Group

on

The Regain Addiction Family Support Group will be starting a new group session in Mattapoisett. This peer discussion group will provide encouragement and information to anyone that has been affected by another’s addiction. Each session has a Certified Naloxone/Narcan trainer, Addiction Recovery Coach, and faith-based ministry group host to answer questions. Meeting groups are being held in the Southeast Massachusetts area now.

Please contact us for information if you are interested in joining one of our new summer support group sessions.

For more information contact us: Telephone: 774-328-6196, e-mail: Healing@regainsupport.com, Facebook: Regain addiction support group.

Bicycle Education Program

on

The Friends of the Mattapoisett Bike Path and Mattapoisett Recreation are offering a Bicycle Education Program on Saturday, June 17 at Center School in Mattapoisett. Session1: Skills & Fundamentals from 10:00 – 11:00 am is for 5-8 year olds. There is no fee for Session 1. Session 2: On-Road Instruction from 1:00 – 3:00 pm is for 8-15 year olds. This session will be run by a Certified League Instructor and the cost is $20 per child. All children must be accompanied by an adult and all riders must have a bicycle and bike helmet. Registration deadline is June 12. Online registration and a downloadable registration form are available at www.mattrec.net.

At ORRJHS, ‘It’s All About the Animals’

on

Wednesday was wet. It was chilly. It was far from an ideal day to hold a walkathon at Old Rochester Regional, but the ‘Orange Team’ at the junior high school persisted nonetheless.

As part of a junior high student-based project, students on the Orange Team chose to hold a walkathon, challenging themselves to walk for 100 minutes around the ORR track, collecting pledges for the event to benefit It’s All About the Animals, a no-kill cat shelter in Rochester.

The walk, scheduled to begin at noon, was bumped up to the morning with the pending rain. Students started out at the junior high, looping up to the high school and onto the track until the 100 minutes were over.

The students chose the cat shelter as the beneficiary of their fundraiser.

“This is our team’s first large-scale community service project, and we are hoping it succeeds so we can make the Walkathon an annual event to raise funds for other local organizations,” said Ms. Nicole Charbonneau, ELA teacher at the junior high. “This student-centered project included students working on advertising designs, pledge form designs, telethon calls for donations from local companies, communications to various networking community figures, and public announcements at school.”

Pam and Oren Robinson, owners and operators of It’s All About the Animals, could not be reached for comment before press time, but surely the unexpected funds come at a time of great need as the cat shelter is undergoing renovations for a new ‘catio’ expansion at the Marion Road facility.

By Jean Perry

 

Adrian Lonsdale

on

Adrian Lonsdale, 89, of Mattapoisett, died Monday, April 24, 2017 after a period of declining health. He was the husband of Jane (Swett) Lonsdale and the son of the late Carl A. and Helen J. (Burdick) Lonsdale.

Adrian entered the US Coast Guard Academy in 1945, and met Jane, an undergraduate at Connecticut College while they were enrolled in school in New London, CT. They would have observed their 67th wedding anniversary in June.

Adrian was born in Port Angeles, Washington and first came to this area in 1966 to command the Coast Guard Cutter Vigilant, then stationed in New Bedford.

He served with both the US Merchant Marines and the US Coast Guard. He rose to the rank of USCG Captain. In Vietnam, he served as the Task Group Commander of the 4th coastal zone from March 1968 to April 1969. He commanded 900 men near the Cambodian border manning both swift boats and coast guard cutters and patrols. He served as captain of four different Coast Guard cutters. He was a third-generation coastguardsman.  His father and grandfather served as Coast Guard officers in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. and in Alaska. He was awarded a Legion of Merit Medal  with combat “V” and the Bronze Star Medal with combat “V” for exceptional service.

After retiring in 1978, Adrian founded Northeast Maritime, a Coast Guard Merchant Marine License prep school in New Bedford.  He also sailed in mate positions on transatlantic container ships, was captain of a coastal tanker and finished his seagoing career as relief captain of the University of Rhode Island Research Ship Endeavor. He also testified as a maritime expert in numerous court cases.

A prolific writer, he coauthored two books:  A Guide to Sunken Ships in American Waters and Voyager Beware. He had numerous articles and stories published in national publications such as True Boating, Motor Boating, Popular Boating, Sea Frontiers, National Fisherman, Naval Institute Proceedings, and Sea Classics.  In 2012, he authored Scotch and Water, a fictional novel account based on the exploits of his grandfather during the sea phase of the enforcement of the National Prohibition Act.

Survivors include his wife, Jane (Swett) Lonsdale of Mattapoisett; and his children, Darcy Lonsdale of Northport, NY; Karl Lonsdale and his wife Siriwan of Tampa, FL, and Ross Lonsdale and his wife Maureen of Cape Elizabeth, ME; 7 grandchildren; 2 great grandchildren; 6 nephews and 2 nieces.  He was the brother of the late Lucille Watts.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 17, 2017 in St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church, 124 Front St., Marion. Adrian’s cremated remains will be buried at sea.  Donations in his memory may be made to the USO, P.O. Box 96860, Washington, D.C. 20077-7677 or to St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church, P.O. Box 545, Marion, MA 02738.

Arrangements are by the Chapman, Cole & Gleason Funeral Home, 2599 Cranberry Hwy., Wareham. For more info and online guestbook, visit: www.ccgfuneralhome.com.

Margaret Jane (Connolly) McGonigle

on

Margaret Jane (Connolly) McGonigle, 84, of New Bedford, formerly of Mattapoisett, passed away peacefully on Saturday May 27, 2017.

Born in New Bedford on May 12, 1933, she was the daughter of Francis and Genevieve Connolly.
Mrs. McGonigle attended Framingham State College and worked for New England Telephone Company for several years before marrying John J. McGonigle, M.D. of Milton, Mass. Together they proudly raised their five children in Mattapoisett.

An avid reader, Mrs. McGonigle’s sharp mind never left her and she remained a whiz at The New York Times crossword puzzle and Jeopardy. She also enjoyed traveling the world with her husband, Jack, following his retirement. She was known for her sense of humor, wit, kindness and enormous strength. She was an inspiration to all who knew her and will be deeply missed by her family.
She was predeceased by her husband, John McGonigle, M.D., her parents, Francis and Genevieve Connolly, and her brothers, James Connolly and Francis Connolly.

Survivors include her children, James McGonigle, Stephen McGonigle, Daniel McGonigle, Kara McGonigle, and Patrick McGonigle and his wife Jennifer. She is also survived by her grandchildren: Mercedes, Georgia, Zoe, Eliza, and Maeve. Other survivors include her brother-in-law Paul and his wife Kate McGonigle, sister-in-law Joan McCue, beloved cousin William Balderson and his wife, Ann, along with many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Her Memorial Mass will be held at St. Anthony’s Church in Mattapoisett on Saturday, June 3, 2017 at 10 AM. Visiting hours are omitted. Arrangements are in the care of the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Mattapoisett. For online condolence book, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.