Maureen Hathaway

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Maureen Hathaway, age 90 of Marion formerly of New Bedford, passed away on Wednesday, February 1 2017 at Sippican Health Care Center.

Born in New Bedford, MA she was the daughter of Leonard M. McDonnell and Florence Reddy McDonnell and was the beloved wife of the late Joseph Hathaway of New Bedford. Maureen was born on Ellen Street in New Bedford in the house owned by her grandparents, Michael and Alice Reddy. She lived on Ellen Street for most of her life before moving to Marion to be with family. She enjoyed the beaches and ice skating at Victory Park in the South End during her youth. Her parents encouraged her love of music. She played piano and trumpet, sang soprano both in choirs and solo, and played the bugle in a drum and bugle corp led by her father, which traveled throughout New York and New England to perform in parades and events. She attended St. Mary’s Grammar School, and Sacred Hearts Academy in Fairhaven where she earned many academic awards. She was offered a full scholarship to Rivier College in New Hampshire but she chose to work at Camp Edwards Air Force Base on Cape Cod in order to participate in the war effort during the Second World War. After the war she worked in downtown New Bedford as a secretary and office manager for an insurance company. She married Joseph Hathaway in 1954. Together they raised four children. She was a parishioner of St. James Church and for many years was a member of the choir.

Maureen passed along her love of music to her children and she encouraged them to take their education seriously. She was always interested in politics and current events, often reading two newspapers a day. Maureen cherished her family and faith above all. She will be remembered for her quiet and compassionate nature, for her “Irish” sense of humor, and her inner strength.

She was the sister of the late Leonard P. McDonnell. She is survived by her sister Jean Silver and her husband Robert of Fairhaven; sister- in law Jane Britton of New Bedford; son Thomas Hathaway and his wife Deborah of Norwell, MA; daughter Carol Mamroe and her husband Tim of Hartland, VT; daughter Maureen Hathaway and her husband Richard Gonsalves; daughter Patti Hathaway and her husband Constantine Scionti. She was the proud grandmother of Elizabeth, Rebecca and Patrick Hathaway, and Christopher, Timothy, and Lauren Gonsalves.

The family is grateful for the loving and attentive care Maureen received from Kim Medeiros of Tender Hearts, the staff of Sippican Healthcare, and the staff of Fidelis Hospice.

Her funeral will be Monday beginning in the funeral home at 9:00 A.M. with a Mass of Christian Burial at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish at St. James Church at 10:00 A.M. Burial will follow in St. Mary’s Cemetery. Visitation will be Sunday afternoon from 1:00 – 3:00 P.M. Arrangements placed in the care of Perry Funeral Home, 111 Dartmouth St. New Bedford, Ma 02740.

Josephine “Jo” (Healy) Bruce

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Josephine “Jo” (Healy) Bruce of Mattapoisett, formerly of East Boston and Melrose, passed away on January 26, 2017 at the age of 93.

Loving wife of the late Edward F. (Frank) Bruce. Devoted mother of Kathleen Bruce of Atlanta, GA, Patricia and John Morris of Hanover, and the late Colleen Bruce. Cherished grandmother of Kate and Dan Joyce of Kingston, Stacey and Curt Diedrich of Hingham and Colleen Morris of Quincy. Great grandmother to John and Anna Joyce and Alex and Will Diedrich. Also survived by her sister Kathleen and Bob Garner of Lincoln, sister in law Mary and Albert Seghezzi of Quincy and many beloved nieces and nephews.

Jo worked at Raytheon Missile Systems Division in Bedford, MA for 30 years. Upon retiring, Jo became an accomplished quilter and joined the Shining Tides Quilt Guild and Plymouth County Cranberry Quilters. Jo was a celebrated cook, and enjoyed traveling, mystery novels, crossword puzzles, and walks around Point Connett in Mattapoisett. Jo may be best known for her unparalleled hospitality, opening her home to family and friends for many raucous holiday parties and gatherings.

A memorial visitation will be held on Saturday, February 4 from 11-12 PM at the Sullivan Funeral Home, 551 Washington St. Rte. 53, Hanover, followed by a funeral home service at 12PM. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations in Jo’s memory may be sent to the Friends of the Mattapoisett Council on Aging, Inc., P.O. Box 1116, Mattapoisett, MA 02739.

Friends Academy Open House

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Friends Academy, located at 1088 Tucker Road in North Dartmouth, MA, will hold an Open House on Sunday, February 12, from 1:00 – 3:00 pm. Families who are interested in learning more about the school’s programs, including the Sally Borden Program for children with language-based learning differences, are invited to tour the school with student guides, visit classrooms, and speak with teachers, alums and current and past parents.

At 1:30 pm, parents and their students are invited to “be” a Middle School student at Friends. In twenty minute intervals, parents will experience classes in social studies, English and Latin classes. At 2:30 pm, the event will culminate with a presentation called “The Middle Schoolers’ Mind.”

Friends Academy serves students from Early Childhood through Grade 8. The event is designed to allow families to explore Friends Academy in depth and to better understand the value of the dynamic and meaningful educational experience the school provides children in the South Coast, Cape Cod, and Rhode Island areas.

The Sally Borden Program offers a unique educational opportunity for children with language-based learning differences, including difficulty acquiring reading, spelling, written expression, math, organizational and/or study skills due to dyslexia or a specific learning disability. An informational session about The Sally Borden School will be held at 2:30 pm.

Founded in 1810, Friends Academy is an independent, nonprofit day school, serving boys and girls. For more information call Katherine Gaudet, Assistant Head of School for Admissions and Community Engagement, at 508-999-1356.

Books for Your Valentine

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The Friends of the Mattapoisett Library are showing the love to teachers and students at their Second Saturday Book Sale, February 11, from 10:00 am until 1:00 pm, downstairs at the library, 7 Barstow Street. This month’s offer is ten free items – books, CDs, and DVDs – to any student or teacher if they show their school identification. It’s the Friends’ small way to say “thank you” to students and teachers while promoting the library. This offer is for February only, so stop in to browse for some great deals.

ConCom Says Lawyer at Fault for Violation

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The Marion Conservation Commission on January 25 deemed homeowner Bryan Beakes not at fault for building a fence through a wetland on his property since his real estate attorney never informed him of an existing continuing order to not perform work in the area in question.

Rather, the commission found the attorney who performed the title search at fault for “not flipping to the second page” to read the continuing order.

Chairman Cynthia Callow said the commission went out to inspect the site and now believe that Beakes wasn’t properly informed about the wetlands order.

“He didn’t know,” said Callow. “All kinds of lawyers were involved in closing and opening and no one told him about the existing order of not to touch the wetlands.”

Beakes said his family had moved down from Canada, and his realtor and attorneys were not local to Marion.

Beakes installed a 6-foot stockade fence across a wet area because it was imperative to enclose the back yard where his children play. One of his children, Beakes told the commission, is on the autism spectrum and the family had concerns about him running towards the woods surrounding the yard.

Some boulders that were placed to inhibit work inside that area were moved by Beakes, as recounted by commission member Norm Hills.

“It’s not your fault,” Hills stated. “The real fault lies with the lawyer who did the title search. This is something that we’re gonna have to talk about … with town counsel … because this has become a problem – the ignorance of continuing conditions.”

Callow said she thought the commission should start posting more information on the Conservation Commission website to better inform the public on such matters.

“In this case, yeah, it’s a wetland, but I don’t think anything would be gained by trying to recover it,” said Hills.

The area of concern is less than 5,000 square feet, the commission noted.

“It’s not worth pursuing,” Callow said.

None of the commission members had any further questions or comments for Beakes.

“I think it’s a mistake, an innocent mistake, and he’ll know better next time,” said Callow.

Hills added, looking to Beakes, “Feel free to jump on your lawyer.”

The next meeting of the Marion Conservation Commission is scheduled for February 8 at 7:00 pm.

By Jean Perry

 

Observing Groundhog Day

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Tired of paying heating bills and driving on slippery roads? You must be ready to welcome the arrival of mid-winter with a Groundhog Day prediction of an early spring.

The first official awakening ceremony was celebrated in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, in 1887 with a groundhog by the name of ‘Phil’ as inaugural bearer of bad news if he saw his shadow.

Today, performance of this seasonal ritual links us in history to old world ancient mythology of the Pagans that later came to be known as ‘Imbolc,’ which they called the first day of spring.

This ritual was later combined and Christianized to become the religious feast festival commemorating the presentation of Jesus at the holy temple in Jerusalem.

Selection of a groundhog as ‘solar mammal’ indigenous to their fields by agricultural Amish farmers was appropriate. Coming out at dawn or dusk on a summer day from the realm of dark subterranean quarters, the groundhog is a standing sentinel like a living sundial whose regimen, much like that of humans, is somehow orchestrated on Earth by planetary cycles in tune with animated stations of the Zodiac.

No matter what the Sun Sign of your horoscope as the reader who may evaluate performance of pagan rituals with tongue-in-cheek, let’s hope the groundhog may live as a dear figure in our hearts, particularly for children as a prophet of an early spring. (Even though in a bad mood when awakened from a long winter’s nap, he’s been known to bite his handlers).

With you as reader and, like me, a mortal kindred earthbound spirit, keep an eye out for the living sundial and hopefully my message and image for this day may give it more meaning.

By George B. Emmons

Nancy B. (Whitcomb) Morse

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Nancy B. (Whitcomb) Morse, 80, of Wareham, passed away Tuesday January 31, 2017 at the Tremont Health Care Center. She was the wife of Channing H. Morse Jr. of Wareham. Mrs. Morse was born in Wareham the daughter of the late Robert M. and Barbara T. (Tallman) Whitcomb.

Mrs. Morse graduated from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and taught in the Old Rochester Regional High School for 26 years. She was a member of the Massachusetts Teachers Association. She was a member of the First Congregational Church of Wareham and was a former member of the choir and church librarian. She was also a volunteer at the Wareham Public Library.

In addition to her husband Mrs. Morse is survived by her children: Elizabeth “Betsy” N. Finch of Glen, NH and Warren Channing Morse of Wareham. She is the sister of Carl R. Whitcomb of Wareham and the grandmother of Erin A. Baxter, Kayla A. Morse, Dillon C. Bennencourt, Ashley M. Kahler and great grandmother of Aaden M. Brown of Wareham. She is also survived by many loving relatives and friends. She was the mother of the late Melinda “Lindy” Laura McCarthy.

A memorial reception will be held on Sunday February 5, in the First Congregational Fellowship Hall located at 11 Gibbs Ave. Wareham from 1:30 – 4 pm. Relatives and friends are cordially invited to attend. I lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to the Deacons Memorial Fund 11 Gibbs Ave. Wareham, MA 02571. Burial will be private.

The Sun is Up, The Shadow is Out

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The sun is up in the Tri-Town this morning, but it may not be as bright as we hoped. Also up with the sun was Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog whose annual prediction sheds the light on when Spring will arrive. This morning Phil reported that he did indeed see his shadow, which means six more weeks of winter. One can hope that even though the prediction was for more cold and snow that maybe, just maybe, it will be on the milder side and Spring will arrive soon. Happy Groundhog Day everyone!

Sunday Stroll before the Superbowl

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Get outside and take a Sunday Stroll before the Superbowl with the Buzzards Bay Coalition and Southcoast Health at Washburn Park (Washburn Lane, Marion) on February 5 at 10:00 am. During this free one-hour walk through the woods, you’ll get some fresh air and exercise while learning how to maintain a healthy, active lifestyle and explore the outdoors.

In addition to the walk, the Southcoast Health Wellness Van will be parked at Washburn Park to provide free health screenings for participants and members of the public.

Sunday Strolls are a monthly series of 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 March 5 at Rounseville II Preserve in Rochester.

Registration is required for this walk. To RSVP, visit www.savebuzzardsbay.org/events/sunday-stroll-washburn-park-feb-05-2017/ 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. Discover Buzzards Bay is sponsored by Southcoast Health.

Take a Stargazing Stroll with BBC

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Join the Buzzards Bay Coalition on Friday, February 3 from 7:00 to 8:00 pm for a stargazing stroll at The Bogs (138 Acushnet Road, Mattapoisett) to enjoy the stunning winter sky. Far away from the city lights, the 300+ acre Mattapoisett River Reserve offers visitors trails and a dark, expansive sky to view the stars.

Please dress warmly and wear sturdy shoes for this nighttime outdoor walk. Registration is required. To RSVP, visit www.savebuzzardsbay.org/events/stargazing-stroll-feb-03-2017/ or contact the Buzzards Bay Coalition at 508-999-6363 ext. 219.

This event 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. Discover Buzzards Bay is sponsored by Southcoast Health.