Friends of the Mattapoisett Council on Aging

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The Friends of the Mattapoisett Council on Aging (FOTMCOA), a non-profit, non-governmental group, has been aiding COA programs and supplementing the needs of senior citizens in the community for many years. During that time, the FOTMCOA has purchased furnishings, appliances, and televisions that the COA has used in its social rooms for the benefit of seniors frequenting the COA.

            In the community, the FOTMCOA has provided financial support to seniors in need of such items as a new refrigerator or kitchen stove.

            The group also sponsors the monthly COA newsletter “Seasonings,” as well as hosting various special event luncheons throughout the year giving seniors the opportunity met up with other seniors for a bit of fun and food, social emotional support enriching the lives of Mattapoisett’s senior population.

            The fundraising work of the FOTMCOA supports COA programs, education, and other needs for which public funds are either not available or need supplementing.

            Due to a decrease in membership, new members are now urgently needed to carry on the mission of the FOTMCOA.

            Can you help? If you can share an hour once a month to attend the FOTMCOA meeting or wish to assist in any way possible, please contact Anne Bartnowski at 508-758-4603 or email at annebartswife@yahoo.com.

UCT Eighth Grade Open House

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Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School, located at 220 Sandwich Road in Bourne, will hold their annual Eighth Grade Open House and Career Exploration on Thursday, October 18from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm.

Upper Cape Tech has been servicing the towns of Bourne, Falmouth, Marion, Sandwich and Wareham for over 50 years.

Roger Forget, Assistant Superintendent/Principal, reports, “All academic and technical programs will be staffed including Auto Collision Repair, Automotive Technology, Carpentry, Cosmetology, Culinary Arts, Electrical, Engineering, Environmental Technology, Health Technology, Horticulture, HVAC, Information Technology, Marine Technology, and Plumbing and Heating.” Prospective grade eight students can witness shops in operation with teachers available to answer questions.

Superintendent Robert Dutch explained, “The Open House is an excellent opportunity for prospective eighth graders to check out the technology for the jobs of today’s economy.”

For more information about the Open House, please call 508-759-7711, ext. 200.

Nicholas “Nick’ Mendes

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Nicholas “Nick’ Mendes (USMC, Ret.) age 80, of Rochester passed away peacefully on Tuesday, October 9, in Bourne. He was predeceased by his parents, Antonio and Agnes (Tavares) Mendes.

He is survived by his wife, Setsuko, of Marion; brother Andrew Mendes and his wife Rose of Marion; sister Natalie Mendes of West Hartford, CT; niece Karen Christmas and her husband Sharrieff of Middleboro; nephews Michael Mendes of Wareham and Christopher Mendes and his wife Adriana of Merrimac, NH.

Nick was born in Rochester on August 21, 1938. He graduated from New Bedford Vocational High School in 1958. He enlisted in the US Marine Corps in 1958 and served honorably for 23 years, achieving the Staff Non-Commissioned Officer rank of Master Gunnery Sergeant with advanced training in telecommunications. His service included tours in Viet Nam and Okinawa and in various US Marine stations in the states. He was the recipient of seven (7) commendations, medals, and awards during his years of service.

Nick was an avid reader with a remarkable knowledge of US history. He enjoyed nothing more than a spirited discussion of the political issues of the day. He loved music, especially jazz and the blues, accumulating an amazing music collection. He faced many challenges in his later years but was a fighter to the end. He will be missed.

Relatives and friends are invited to visit at the Chapman, Cole, & Gleason Funeral Home, 2599 Cranberry Hwy (Rt. 28), Wareham on Saturday, October 13, from 9 to 10:30 am. A funeral service will follow at 10:30 am. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Marion.

Memorial donations may be made to the Agnes T. Mendes Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o UMass Dartmouth Foundation, 285 Old Westport Rd, Dartmouth MA 02747.

Investigation Suggests Spirits ‘Live’ in Library

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It’s that time of the year when children begin planning their Halloween costumes in anticipation of shouting out that well known call of the wild, “Trick or treat!”

The Halloween festival season also brings to mind episodes of things that are unexplainable. Things like unusual noises coming from empty rooms, smells emitted from closed closet doors, voices, and apparitions. Some people are true believers in ghosts and spirits mingling with living, breathing people. Some people are not.

Either way, the team members of S.P.I.R.I.T.S of New England, a paranormal investigatory group, respect people’s opinions on the subject. But if you have something going on in your home, these folks will provide an investigation at no cost. That may speak volumes on their commitment to acknowledging the presence of spirits or debunking such claims.

On October 5, the Mattapoisett Public Library invited Jack Kenna and Ellen MacNeil co-founders of S.P.I.R.I.T.S of New England, along with team members Sharon Koogler, another co-founder, and investigator Sarah Campbell to give a presentation on the subject of paranormal activity. During the group’s visit to the library last year some “strange things” happened, Kenna said. This year, after the presentation, they would be searching once again for spirits in the heart of Mattapoisett.

Kenna’s presentation was peppered with anecdotes of paranormal events the team has discovered. He told a story about being in a car accident after leaving an investigation at the Taft Public Library in Mendon. He said it was an example of what he called an “attachment.” He said that he had neglected to remove spirits who might try to follow him by burning sage and dousing himself with the smoke. Next thing he knew, his car was involved in an accident near the site of a fatal accident some years prior. Kenna said he heard a spirit in his head saying, “Carlos … here … hit … pain … police.”

“I think Carlos attached himself to the car,” said Kenna. “He wanted to communicate with us.”

Kenna was also clear that, at times, his group is able to disabuse people of their belief that spirits are in a building. For example, he told a story of an investigation where photographed “spirit” images turned out to be a stack of cleaning supplies in a closet.

“It’s not always what you think it is,” Kenna said. “As investigators, we need to dig deeper – have to be careful what you’re claiming.”

And while Kenna has enjoyed filming for reality television programs, in one episode the production company made it appear as though a spirit had possessed Kenna. Kenna explained what really happened.

Kenna said that he had asked a spirit how to communicate with him. “I started to feel shaky and like I had a fever, something I had never experienced before.” He said that was the difference between reality and reality TV. According to Kenna, most of the time investigations are more like “watching grass grow.”

In a follow-up, MacNeil told The Wanderer, “We are skeptics. A lot of times we can explain away what people think is happening. We want to help, to give comfort of knowing.”

But Kenna did offer more than half a dozen cases where the team recorded audio of voices presumed to be those of spirits and videotaped evidence that seemed to confirm the presence of paranormal activity.

One of the more tender stories Kenna shared was an investigation aboard the USS Constitution.

While investigating witness testimony that voices spoke to some of the crew and shadows passed through rooms, Kenna was able to capture EVP – electronic voice phenomenon. On the audiotape, which he shared that night, are the voices Kenna says are of a sailor talking about the history of the ship. Then there is a pause, followed by another sound. Slowing down the audio to discern audible language, Kenna said it is the voice of a young boy who died while crewing on the ship in the 1800s. The child seems to be saying, ”and a bear,” adding to the historical narrative of the sailor. Kenna said this was clear evidence of paranormal activity since only someone living aboard the ship in that bygone era would know that a bear had been on the ship as a pet.

MacNeil shared that in 2010 while conducting an investigation, she experienced the presence of a spirit when it placed its hand on her shoulder. She explained that it was very rare for a spirit to actually touch a living person. She considers herself honored by the experience.

Liz Sherry, a librarian at the Mattapoisett Library, shared that there have been stories about unexplainable events taking place in the library for years.

“Items have been moved to the locked attic, books scattered on the floor, and, recently, someone screamed, but no one knew where it came from,” said Sherry. She added, however, that she has never been fearful of being in the library, even alone.

Another time when the S.P.I.R.I.T.S team investigated the library, it captured some EVP evidence – a disembodied voice that seemed to be saying, “Calvin.” It was confirmed that there had at one time been a janitor by that name, and another voice that responded, “a friend,” when asked, “Who is there?”

So what happened this year when the team investigated? Well, if you don’t want to be shocked, stopped reading now.

In a follow-up interview, Kenna reported that participants who joined the investigation were split up into two groups. Armed with ghost finding electronic equipment and the age-old dowsing rods, the group investigating the Children’s Department found the presence of a man from the 1800s who died in a factory accident. Kenna said that by asking a series of questions the spirit was able to respond via an electronic processor that utilizes lights to interact with the living. The factory worker responded that he couldn’t read, but enjoyed listening to stories being read to the children.

In a space near the conference room adjacent to the Children’s Department, Kenna said his team picked up a male spirit and a child. They asked the child if it was responsible for knocking books off the shelves – the response was yes.

Kenna said he believes there is a spirit portal in the subterranean space, a hole in the space-time continuum, where spirits are entering and existing at will. But be not afraid, Kenna said, for they are all friendly spirits.

By Marilou Newell

 

Preschool Screening Clinic Scheduled

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The Old Rochester Regional School District will be holding its annual screening clinic for three and four year olds on the following dates and locations:

Tuesday,October 16, 2018– Rochester Memorial School, 16 Pine Street, Rochester, MA 02770

Wednesday,January 16, 2019-Center School, 17 Barstow Street, Mattapoisett, MA 02739

Thursday,March 21, 2019– Sippican School, 16 Spring Street, Marion, MA 02738

The screening clinics are a service to young children and their families in Marion, Mattapoisett, and Rochester. The screening will look at social emotional skills, cognitive development, speech and language development, physical development, vision, and hearing.

If you question your child’s development in any of these areas, please contact Robin Mobley in the Early Childhood Office at 508-748-1863 or email robinmobley@oldrochester.org for further information or to schedule a screening appointment.

Mattapoisett Files for Federal Grant

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At the end of July, the Town submitted an $8.5 million dollar grant proposal to the Federal Department of Transportation (“DOT”) to reconstruct Industrial Drive and build a separated bike/pedestrian path from the North Street “Park and Ride” to the Marion Town line. Mattapoisett Town Administrator Michael Gagne described the project’s benefits: “It will facilitate industrial and commercial development, improve public safety, and increase connectivity for bikers and walkers across the region.”

            Friends of the Bike Path identified the grant opportunity in late June through their contacts at East Coast Greenway, a national organization that promotes an off-road bike touring route from Maine to Florida. Friends’ volunteers worked with the Town to define the proposal and meet the tight application deadline.  The potential economic impact of the project is substantial due to new opportunities to build new or expanded facilities and add new jobs in a current industrial district of the Town.  Letters of support came from Representative Bill Straus and the Massachusetts Secretary of Transportation who stressed the importance of economic development in the area. A team of volunteers, consultants, and Town staff are working to ensure that all eligibility requirements will be met. The date of grant award notification is December 18, 2018. If the Town is not awarded a grant and DOT does not commit all the money, the Town will be eligible to submit for a second round of funding.

            The grant, called “BUILD,” is administered by Federal Highways Administration. It is a funding opportunity for transportation projects that assist economic development and regional transportation connectivity. At least $450 million, and possibly more, is reserved for projects in rural American communities. Industrial Drive and the half mile to Marion are classified as rural areas. Rural communities often lose funding opportunities because of they lack organizational resources to apply for such funding. Much of the work of writing the grant was done by volunteers from the Friends of the Mattapoisett Bike Path.

            If the Town is awarded a grant, the results would be:

1) A safe crossing of North Street plus a new bike lane or sidewalk near the Park and Ride;

2) A revised and safer vehicle intersection at Industrial Drive and North Street (with turning lanes, through-traffic lanes and islands to separate traffic), and;

3) A separated path for bikes and pedestrians along Industrial Drive, including a “realignment” of the road so walking and biking will be on the north side of Industrial Drive, to avoid most driveways and trucks. The road work will allow Industrial Drive businesses to upgrade their sewer systems, introducing new opportunities for expansion and facilitating more diverse businesses.

            The grant would include paving the existing gravel water service road east of Industrial Drive to Marion Town line where it would meet Marion’s Bike/Ped Pathway, establishing an attractive connection to Marion on the Old Boston and Maine Railroad Right of Way and a 20-mile regional bike route on a car free bike path and low traffic rural/small town roads. All components have received some planning attention over the years.

            The grant application shows how concurrently developing the bike path and the Industrial Drive Rehabilitation can improve public safety, recreational and tourist amenities, and economic activity in one complete project. Barry Denham, Mattapoisett’s Highway Surveyor, who has overseen multiple road reconstruction projects, immediately saw the benefit of applying for the grant.  “We are going to have to do the pre-design engineering work for reconstruction of Industrial Drive now over 50 years old, which is deteriorating due to heavy truck traffic. Doing the engineering work for the Shared-Use Path at the same time makes sense. This is just packaging several pieces together since they interconnect.” The grant application emphasized that conducting all the work along this mile and a half would make for a more efficient project, reduce overall costs, minimize disruption, and be consistent with the federal BUILD ONCE philosophy.

            Gagne explained, “A key part of the grant requirements is being ‘shovel ready.’  Federal funds will only be freed up if all permits are in hand by Fall of 2020. We want to have the engineers and experts working to produce the design, engineering and analysis in early 2019 so that permit submissions can be made well in advance of the ‘shovel ready’ deadline.” The work is straight forward, but the review process could take some time. Some of the design costs could be reimbursed through the grant.”  He also noted that this is a “Smart Growth” project: “Construction at an already developed Industrial District near the highway exit will increase and diversify the town’s tax base and provide job opportunities for residents while minimizing impacts to the residential character of the Town by being in a current existing town industrial district.”

Elizabeth Taber Library Events

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Author Talk with Rebecca Tripp: Thursday, October 11at 6:30 pm – Join us on Thursday evening, October 11, as Rebecca Tripp discusses her book Secrets of a Metaphysical Flight Attendant. Copies of this book will be available for purchase (cash or check only, please). A book signing will follow.

About the Author: Rebecca (Becca) Tripp is a highly qualified metaphysical counselor, author, and public speaker who specializes in transformational coaching. She has a broad background in many spiritual, holistic traditions and has personally experienced numerous healings and transcendent, life-changing breakthroughs.

Since 2004, Tripp has been conducting seminars throughout the United States, teaching mind training techniques that allow people to tap into their creative potential and manifest success in every area of life. She is a certified Silva UltraMind trainer.

Her coaching draws on her unique background as a student of consciousness-raising techniques who honed her skills as an international flight attendant, building bridges with people from dozens of nations, cultures, professions, and belief systems. From the first-class cabin, to theatre workshops with Stella Adler, and partnership in a leading New York City modeling agency – her rich background has enabled her to make friends with talented, creative people from every walk of life.

As a spiritual coach, Tripp makes life-enhancing seminars entertaining and fun – with wit, candor, anecdotes from her travels to every corner of the globe, and a sassy ability to make deep topics lively and fresh.

Author Talk and Mandala Craft – Tuesday,October 23, at 6:00 pm – Please join us as Marion artist and author Dannie Engwert shares her book on grief and healing through creating mandalas from a variety of items. Afterwards, each participant will have the opportunity to make three mandala installations which will then be photographed and turned into a zine to take home.

Engwert received a psychology degree with a minor in art at the University of Toledo in Ohio. Years later, she completed course work at Elmhurst College in Illinois and received a teaching certificate for grades K through 12 in Thanatology, the study of grief, to become a grief facilitator. As well as being an author, Engwert is a fiber artist and creates images that require the input of the observer to complete an experience of joy. She designs and creates greeting cards that have been distributed internationally and wrote a book called Good Grief, which is included in the archives collection of Zines at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth.

Azores Travel Talk – Thursday, October 25at 6:00 pm – While an ocean away, the Azores greatly impact our local culture. Join us for an evening journey to the island of Sao Miguel, the largest of the nine islands. Your guides, Gary Sousa and Cathy Furtado, hail from the islands and will take you to all the top sites as well as into the homes of their kin. Feel free to ask questions and take advantage of their expertise or even share your own connections to this gorgeous and welcoming land.

For more information or to register for these programs, please call the Elizabeth Taber Library at 508-748-1252 or email Libby at eoneill@sailsinc.org.

Retirement Celebration

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On Thursday, October 11, from 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm, the Rochester Council on Aging will host the retirement celebration for one of its long-time & well-loved employees, George Smith. The public is invited to stop by to wish George well in his retirement. There will be a brief presentation, followed by an informal social gathering with delicious refreshments being served. George’s dedication & commitment to the ongoing high quality & cleanliness of the senior center’s facility and its programs, has long been known throughout the area. He has received many, many accolades over his 15 years of employment. His work ethic has been unparalleled, as George has treated the Rochester Senior Center as he would his own home. With a sense of humor, dedication, and passion for the Rochester community, George has made his mark here.

Rochester Women’s Club October Meeting

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The Rochester Women’s Club’s next meeting will be held on Thursday, October 11at 6:30 pm. We will have our meeting at Matts Blackboard located at Plumb Corner in Rochester. We will be discussing our scholarship fundraisers, our plans for this year’s civic activity, and also our plans for the next evening out. If you would love to attend this or any of our meetings, please call or text Nancy at 508-654-6621.

Our club is welcoming to all women from all towns. You need not live in Rochester to join this fun-loving bunch of ladies. We usually meet the first Thursday of the month from September to June. Our club house is located at 37 Marion Road in Rochester.

This year, the Women’s Club will be welcoming local trick-or-treaters. Our club members will be dressed and ready to hand out candy to any young children dressed in costume between 4:30 pm and 6:30 pm.

What’s Happening at the Mattapoisett Congregational Church?

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Over the last several weeks, there has been lots of activity at the Mechanic Street entrance to the Mattapoisett Congregational Church. You might wonder – what’s going on here? In addition to the installation of a three-level lift at the wheelchair-accessible entrance on Church Street, a third lift is now under construction. FORM Construction has completed the foundation for the enclosed structure that will house the new lift. New stairs leading directly into Reynard Hall will also be constructed within the enclosure.

Next, the parking area along Mechanic Street will be re-graded and re-surfaced to allow for two handicapped-accessible parking spaces and enable all other spaces to have easier access to the new entry. The work is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

The final project will be the renovation of two hallway bathrooms between the pastor’s and the church offices. In order to minimize disruption to the normal operation of the church, work is expected to begin in the spring of 2019.

These projects, along with several infrastructure improvements, have been made possible by the fund-raising efforts of “A Welcome Home” capital campaign conducted in March 2016 and the amazing generosity of members of the congregation and community.