Rodney L. Draffen

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Rodney L. Draffen, 73, of New Bedford, died February 25, 2018 at home. He was the husband of Cheryl A. (Texiera) Draffen and the son of the late Lewis I. and Elizabeth M. (Moore) Draffen.

He was born in Boston and grew up in Roxbury. He then lived in Marion before moving to New Bedford 30 years ago.

Mr. Draffen was a Vietnam Veteran serving in the United States Army as a Green Beret.

Mr. Draffen worked as a Carpenter in the area for many years.

He enjoyed going to Military Reunions and the Airborne Reunion in Onset. He was an avid fisherman.

Survivors include his wife, Cheryl A. (Texiera) Draffen of Fall River; 2 sons, Corey Draffen of Stoughton and Michael Patterson of Boston; 3 daughters, Nicole Patterson, Kim Paterson and Denitra Patterson all of Boston; a sister, Georgianna Bittle of Brockton; a granddaughter, Mariah Draffen. He was the brother of the late Ballin Draffen.

Visiting hours are from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm on Friday, March 2, 2018 at the Chapman, Cole & Gleason Funeral Home, 2599 Cranberry Hwy., Wareham, followed by a funeral service at 12:30 pm at the funeral home.

Burial will be in the Massachusetts National Cemetery, Bourne.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the Vietnam Veterans of America, 8719 Colesville Rd., Suite 100, Silver Springs, MD 20910.

Academic Achievements

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Sienna Wurl of Mattapoisett has been named to the President’s List at Western New England University for the fall semester of 2017. Wurl is working toward a degree in Pre-Pharmacy.

Stephen Burke of Rochester, a member of the class of 2019 majoring in mechanical engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), was a member of a student team that recently completed an intense, hands-on research through the WPI project center in Worcester, England. The project was titled Worcester Go Green Week Preparation Fall 2017. In their project summary, the students wrote, “We improved the current platform for the Go Green Week Fair held by the University of Worcester to promote sustainable habits.”

Dylan Soule, a Political Science major from Rochester, was named to the Dean’s List. Soule was among the more than 750 students named to the Saint Francis University Honors List for the fall 2017 semester.

To be named to the Provost’s or Dean’s Honors Lists, students must have full-time status and attain a quality point average of at least 3.8 (Provost’s) or 3.5 (Dean’s) for the given semester.

Gateway Youth Hockey

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The Gateway Gladiators Mite C team played one of their better games of the season on Saturday, skating away with a big 30-17 win for the team. They played the YD Dolphins and there were plenty of goals to go around. It wasn’t just the goals that were exciting; the team seemed to get a lot of passes in the game, making it a complete game. Leading the way in scoring were Kaden Silva (7G, 4A), Andrew Soucy (3G, 4A), Keeghan Hewak (4G, 2A), Tomas doCanto (4G, 1A), Will Manning (4G, 1A), RJ Murphy (4G, 1A), Nolan Almeida (3G, 1A) and Caden Kosboski (1G). Also, playing great in net, Jake Lovendale made 25 saves in his second stint between the pipes. The team has three games left on the season and look to finish strong over the next few weeks.

Town to Seek National Register Status

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Marion is a town steeped in history with iconic historical buildings important to the town, which is why Town Planner Gil Hilario wants to investigate the possibility of getting some of these buildings officially recognized for their historical significance.

Hilario said he would be consulting with the Marion Historical Commission about advancing towards placing any eligible historic, town-owned buildings on the National Register of Historic Places.

“I was surprised there are no town-owned buildings on the Historic Register,” said Hilario. “To me, that’s really important for preservation.”

Buildings such as the Town House (originally Tabor Academy) and the Elizabeth Taber Library, built in 1876 and 1872 respectively, if added to the National Register, could open up the town for grants for rehabilitation work, which is only available to municipalities and nonprofit organizations.

Once the town’s Historic Commission prepares an inventory of recommended buildings, the process begins with contacting the Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC), which administers the National Register program in the state. The MHC then reviews each property’s eligibility and whether it meets specific criteria, such as association with significant events or persons in the past.

Sites listed in the National Register of Historic Places are automatically added to the State Register of Historic Places, as well. The State Register serves as a guide when determining whether a state funded or permitted or licensed project would affect or harm the historical nature of the building.

Hilario said he would be attending a meeting of the Marion Historical Commission to discuss the details.

Also during the February 20 meeting of the Marion Planning Board, the board continued the public hearing for Carolyn Martin’s Special Permit application for a pier at 282 Delano Road.

David Davignon of N. Douglas Schneider & Associates, Inc. said the 4-foot wide, 175-foot long aluminum gangway would lead to a 10- by 20-foot float. All work would be performed via barge.

The water depth would be 3.2 feet at low tide and 7.2 feet at high tide, which is significant, Davignon said.

“In most pier projects we do in Mattapoisett and Marion there’s very shallow water,” said Davignon. “In this case, we actually have a decent level of water.”

Davignon said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued the project a permit back on November 28, and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Waterways Division is waiting to issue its permit until the Planning Board and the Marion Conservation Commission issue their approvals.

The Marion Harbormaster’s Office told the Planning Board that it had no concerns with the project.

Planning Board Chairman Eileen Marum suggested approving the pier project contingent upon Conservation Commission approval, but Planning Board member Norm Hills preferred to continue the hearing until the Conservation Commission issues the Order of Conditions.

“Other than that, I think it’s a complete package,” Hills said.

In other matters, Hilario said a road safety audit of Route 6 conducted in January is not complete, and a draft report would be released to the town “shortly.”

The road safety audit, Hilario said, preceded the Route 6 corridor study slated to begin in the spring, which will take about 18 months to complete.

“I think we’re making small steps toward addressing [road safety] problems,” Hilario said.

The next meeting of the Marion Planning Board is scheduled for March 5 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Town House.

Marion Planning Board

By Jean Perry

 

Sippican Historical Society

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In 1998, the Sippican Historical Society commissioned an architectural survey of Marion’s historic homes and buildings. The survey was funded one-half by the Sippican Historical Society and one-half by the Massachusetts Historical Commission. Because of the limits of funding, not all of the historic buildings were surveyed, but over 100 were catalogued and photographed. The results of the survey are in digital form on the Massachusetts Historical Commission’s website and in four binders in the Sippican Historical Society’s office (and at the Marion Town Clerk’s office). Marion (Old Rochester) is one of the oldest towns in the United States, and the Sippican Historical Society maintains an extensive collection of documentation on its historic buildings. The Sippican Historical Society will preview one building a week so that the residents of Marion can understand more about its unique historical architecture. This installment features 312 Delano Road.

Part of the charming cottage at 312 Delano Road was built in 1750 by Harper Delano. The prominent Delano family – along with the Briggses, Dexters, and Ellises – were among the first families of Great Neck during the 18th century. A mold for making bullets for the War of 1812 was found in the basement of this house. During the War of 1812, the Delanos were well placed to witness barges carrying British troops from the Nimrod on its way to Wareham, where the crew burned a few houses in the village. By 1903, Amos Cornell owned this property. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was related to the Marion Delanos.

 

Connet Woods Subdivision Request Continued

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A subdivision that has been in the making for 10 years was once again the subject of an application before the Rochester Conservation Commission during the February 20 meeting.

Coming before the commission was Stephen Meltzer, a principal in the Edgewood Development Company of Plainville as well as the property owner of record, with a Request for Determination of Applicability for the construction of a private well and new home on one of the proposed 115 lots originally planned.

Meltzer described grading activity planned for the lot and pointed out that most of the jurisdictional buffer zone was outside the site in question.

But commissioner Daniel Gagne questioned photographs that seemed to show that cutting within the buffer zone had taken place.

Meltzer said he was unfamiliar with “prior history” of the lot, leading Conservation Agent Laurell Farinon to interject that development had begun 10 years ago, site disturbance from previous owners was evident and she didn’t believe there had been any recent tree clearing.

“The history of the site is varied,” she told Gagne.

Gagne remained skeptical, noting that he was simply looking at photographs from the site and from his viewpoint those photographs showed cutting in the buffer zone.

Meltzer said, “I’m not here to argue… There may have been past deeds that took place… I’m sorry.”

Farinon suggested that the commissioners visit the site to see firsthand what the current conditions are. She also left open the possibility that the RDA filing might not be sufficient and that a Notice of Intent may be in order.

“This is a good one for the commission to see,” Farinon said.

The public meeting was continued until March 6.

Next was the Request for Determination of Non-Significance filed by James Holbrook on behalf of his mother for a proposed dwelling at Old Mill Way. It had come to light, Holbrook explained, that the current plans placed the home over the lot line by three inches. The revised plans would situate the building a foot closer to wetlands then previously drawn. The request was approved.

A Request for Extension Permit by Edgewood Development for the construction of a new bituminous concrete manufacturing plant located off King’s Highway was continued until March 6 due to a lack of quorum as one commissioner would have to be recused from the public meeting due to a conflict. The application was continued until March 6.

The commissioners also reviewed the commission’s annual report and accepted the draft as written. Farinon said that the document will now head to the Selectmen’s Office for inclusion in a larger report to be distributed during Town Meeting.

Also reviewed and accepted was a 60-plus page forest management plan drafted by Benjamin Forestry Services for the evaluation of the Upper and Lower River Bend areas off New Bedford Road adjacent to the Shoolman Preserve, a conservation property cooperatively managed by both the Rochester and Mattapoisett Land Trusts.

The report detailed the current condition of the property, including the history of the parcel, types of trees and other vegetation, wildlife implications, and goals for water quality.

Farinon walked the commissioners through the report, noting various significant highpoints including Benjamin’s recommendation that the majority of the site be left in its natural state with conservative tree clearing in only a few locations.

The next meeting of the Rochester Conservation Commission is scheduled for March 6 at 7:00 pm in the Town Hall meeting room.

Rochester Conservation Commission

By Marilou Newell

 

Arthur Moniz

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Artist Arthur Moniz, 72, son of the late Arthur F. and Mary (Morris) Moniz and beloved husband of Cheryl (Germano) Moniz passed on from this life on Wednesday February 21st at home, with his family at his side, after a courageous year long battle with Cancer.

He attended school in New Bedford and then went on to Massachusetts College of Art and the Museum School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

He was a brilliant artist and a humble man. His paintings depict a wide range of interests, from New Bedford’s Rich Maritime History, both fishing and whaling. His work embodied the natural beauty of scenes from Japan to Florida, as well as the Azores. One of his most loved paintings titled “Mending the Nets” traveled the country as part of the National Exhibition of the American Society of Marine Artists (ASMA) beginning in 2016 and ending in Mystic, Ct. in 2018. The focal point of his work illustrated the New England area, where he resided with his wife and business partner, Cheryl.

He has had featured collections at The Imperial Palace, Tokyo, Japan; John Manjiro House (Museum) and City Hall, Tosashimizu, Japan; Meiji-Mura Museum, Nagoya, Japan; Boston Symphony Hall, Boston, Ma.; “Retrospect” New Bedford Whaling Museum, New Bedford, Ma.; Westport Winery, Westport, Ma.; The Millicent Library, Fairhaven, Ma.

He was awarded signature membership is ASMA (American Society of Maritime Artists), and was a member of the Azorean Maritime Academy, Tosashimizu Sister City and the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick.

He was an avid kayaker, naturalist and loved driving his Mustang convertible on warm summer days. Arthur enjoyed spending time with, as well as vacationing with, family and friends. His most precious time was spent painting in both his Fairhaven and Florida studios.

He is survived by his wife of 52 years, a son, Brett Moniz and his partner Deb Deschamps, his daughter Kerran Soares and her husband Craig, and four grandchildren whom he adored – Kayli Moniz, Matthew Arthur Moniz, Kyle Soares and Kassie Soares, all of Fairhaven and a godchild/ nephews/niece- Michael Baldo, Mark Baldo, Christopher Baldo, Peter Baldo and Katie Helps. He was predeceased by his sister Mary Moniz Baldo.

The family would like to thank the doctors at Dana Farber and Fairhaven Community Nurses. They also want to thank their “special angel” and god daughter nurse Kathy Golas, along with extraordinary friends for their unwavering weekly support, who were with the family throughout their journey.

His funeral service will be held Wednesday, February 28th at 12 pm at the Seamens Bethel, 15 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, Ma. Visiting Hours will be on Tuesday, February 27th from 6-8 pm at the Arthur Moniz Gallery, 22 William Street, New Bedford, Ma.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Arthur Moniz Scholarship Fund c/o Cheryl Moniz, 22 William Street, New Bedford, Ma. 02740.

Arrangements are with the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Route 6, Mattapoisett. For online guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

NBSO’s South Coast Chamber Series Presents “Chiaroscuro”

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On March 10 & 11 the New Bedford Symphony’s South Coast Chamber Series continues its season with “Chiaroscuro,” a concert featuring harmonies light, dark, and dazzling. Chamber musicians will offer three great works, each a stunningly different canvas of sound and emotion. Haydn’s elegant Piano Trio in F-sharp Minor is aural champagne, while Bartók’s last string quartet limns a melancholic quest ending in a question mark. Dvořák’s sunny A Major Piano Quintet transports us back to a world of joy, hope, and delight.

NBSO violinist EmmaLee Holmes-Hicks joins Chamber regulars Janice Weber, piano; Piotr Buczek, violin; Don Krishnaswami, viola; and Timothy Roberts, cello, for two weekend performances: Saturday, March 10, St. Gabriel’s Church, 124 Front Street, Marion, and Sunday, March 11, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 351 Elm Street, South Dartmouth. Both concerts will be at 4:00 pm. Tickets are $20 per person at the door or pre-purchase online at www.nbsymphony.org/season-subscriptions#chamber-tickets (bring your email receipt for admission).

Ulrich F. W. Ernst

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Ulrich F. W. Ernst, age 73, of Mattapoisett, MA, died on February 21, 2018, with his family and friends by his side. He was born in Bückow, Germany, and grew up in (West) Berlin. He studied economics at the Freie Universität, Berlin and at the Christian-Albrechts Universität Institute for World Economy, Kiel, Germany. He came to the US in 1966, receiving his Ph.D in economics at Indiana University in 1973.

He was employed by Abt Associates in Cambridge, MA, and Bethesda, MD; by DAI in Bethesda, where he served as Chief Economist; and by the US Agency for International Development where he was an Economist in the Foreign Service. His work spanned the developing world, with postings in Morocco, Central America, and Sri Lanka. He found some of his most interesting short-term projects in Ukraine, Moldova, Ghana, Armenia, and Palestine. After retirement he continued consulting, almost to the time of his death. His last work was developing a structural model to predict the local content of major investments in the LNG sector in Tanzania. Work on that model is being carried on by colleagues at DAI.

Throughout his career, he had the rare ability to use sophisticated mathematical and econometric tools in practical ways, making them understandable and useful to decision-makers in the US government overseas and in foreign governments. He loved mentoring young professionals in the countries where he worked and helped their careers whenever possible.

Besides his commitment to his work, he was an avid and skilled amateur nature photographer, an enthusiastic (though less skilled) wood worker, and aspired to playing the bagpipes and clarinet. He was an advocate of liberal causes, serving as co-chair of the Mattapoisett Democratic Town Committee. Throughout, he never lost his ties to Germany, returning each summer to explore a different part of his reunified homeland with a group of his former schoolmates.

“Rick” is survived by his wife Dianne Tsitsos; sisters-in-law Mary Tsitsos of Mattapoisett and Katherine Tsitsos of Aegina, Greece; nephew Bill Tsitsos of Baltimore, MD, and many dear friends in the US, Germany, and elsewhere in Europe and Asia.

A memorial gathering will be held at his home on Saturday March 3rd from 2 to 5 PM, with a brief service of remembrance at 3 PM.  Arrangements are by the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Mattapoisett.  For online condolence book, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

In the Present Moment

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We hadn’t been good about keeping close tabs on each other of late. It’s hard to say exactly why. There hadn’t been a disagreement or parting of the ways. But moving to the local area and returning to a part of the globe where her small family lived had meant she’d be physically closer to me as well. However, after the initial thrill of having my friend of over forty years living within a fifteen-minute drive, I’d somehow experienced the proximity to be too close.

Declining health had driven her to make the very difficult decision to sell her much beloved antique farmhouse in New Hampshire and move south. To say she was bitter, angry, disgusted, distraught, or any other shade of unhappy was an understatement. All of us who were close to her got a bit of that stink sprayed on our good intentions.

Now divesting herself of a lifetime of collecting material goods meant that, although she had sold and given away a great deal of stuff, she still came south with an overabundance of personal belongings. The tiny apartment she’d be renting simply couldn’t hold the tonnage, yet she tried to tuck and squeeze all manner of tangible assets into every available nook and cranny.

There were also two storage units packed to bursting with even more flotsam and jetsam from the life she had once lived. Nearly all of it had been collected during the years she was married to her dearly departed spouse. It all meant so much more to her than what my eyes could see.

My efforts to help her purge, efforts she had asked for, were met with deep frustration bordering on hate. She really didn’t want my help. She really just wanted someone to be at her side as she handled each piece and relived how it had come into her possession. “Oh, we were driving around Vermont when we came across a roadside shed. We just had to stop and he said….” She could spend hours, days, or the rest of her life roaming the dusty back roads of her memory. I just wanted to throw away anything that was broken. She just wanted to hold onto it all.

I finally realized, in spite of my love and need for her friendship, the close proximity wasn’t adding anything to our relationship. If anything, I feared she would end up saying something that would hurt too much for me to accept. Instead, I made a calculated retreat. After all, we hadn’t lived close to one another in many decades. Our relationship, while based on mutual respect, shared experiences, and a deep understanding of each other’s neuroses, had not been one that included frequent physical contact.

Letters, phone calls, and much later email, became our mainstay. We exposed our inner thinking, yearnings, needs, sorrows, joys, all manners of human emotion through the written and spoken word over miles of separation. The rare face-to-face visits had been joyful and rich, but we easily resumed long-distance caring.

These past weeks, I’d felt guilty for not being more present, not trying harder to get in the car and go to her. The fact that I’d been struggling with mobility issues spending nearly two years in recovery didn’t assuage that guilt. I could have managed to get to her more frequently if I really tried.

Then I received a Facebook message from her saying she was in nursing care after a week of hospitalization with her usual sardonic humor, “What fun!”

The next day, I sat next to her on the uncomfortable hospital bed, stroking her arm and crying. She opened her eyes and took me in smiling. She whispered, “Marilou, you came.”

There isn’t much left of my friend, physically speaking. She was always petite, but now disease has robbed her of the flesh beneath her skin. Her thoughts are a bit confused but her spirit and desire to live to fight another day remain.

I help her sit up, holding her like a fragile glass doll. Every bone in her spine is visible. Her ribs barely expand and contract with her labored breathing. I softly sing a verse from the Eagles song “Hotel California,” “…plenty of room at the Hotel California, what a lovely place… You can check out any time you like but you can never leave!” She chuckles, “Ain’t that the truth.”

I realize while driving home, after making plans to return the following day with homemade soup, that all any of us ever really wants is for someone to listen, to be present. Understanding isn’t really necessary. At the end of life, being present as a loved one passes through that last door is most likely the most important thing we’ll ever have the privilege of doing … and the most difficult.

This Mattapoisett Life

By Marilou Newell