Santa of the Lighthouses

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It’s 1929 along the coast of Maine. Well-known local pilot William Wincapaw is flying a mail delivery route, and the night is dark and foggy. He has no idea where he is. Worried, he decides to fly his way home to Rockland by following the trail of lighthouses dotting the rocky coast. The ploy works and Wincapaw returns home, grateful to the lighthouse keepers for their efforts.

This fateful night begins a classic (and true) Christmas tale, which author John Galluzzo told on December 12 at the Marion Music Hall.

From the 1920s to the 1980s, Santa was very real to any child at a lighthouse, whether he arrived by plane, helicopter, boat, or car – all of which were used by “Santa of the Lighthouses” to reach his remote destinations.

“Wincapaw was so grateful to the lighthouse keepers that he started dropping them necessary items like newspapers,” Galluzzo enthused. “Think about it, you’re a lighthouse keeper on one of those little islands off the coast of Maine. You aren’t getting the paper very often. The Sunday paper is fantastic!”

According to Galluzzo, Wincapaw enjoyed delivering the gifts so much that he eventually expanded into delivering presents for the children. And thus, the “Santa of the Lighthouses” was born.

In 1929, aviation is a country-wide craze. Two years prior, Charles Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic in the Spirit of St. Louis. Airports in every small town have been cleared for the transportation of the future. Consequently, Wincapaw has no trouble securing national sponsors when he begins compiling boxes to send to the children. Major sponsors include Gillette and Bell Seasoning.

By 1933, the Christmas route expands to 91 stops. Landing at each stop is ruled out of the question. Wincapaw experiments with ways to drop the parcels from the plane – with varying success. Parachuted gifts tear fenders off of cars, smack into an unfortunate chicken, and in one memorable instance, crash through a skylight window. (“The timing wasn’t right…”)

The family later moves to Winthrop, Massachusetts, where local schoolteacher Edward Rose Snow hears about the project and wants to help. In 1936, he splits the route with Wincapaw, and in 1938 takes the entire project over when Wincapaw is sent to Uruguay. He will remain the Santa of the Lighthouses for the next 44 years.

Rose Snow travels with a pilot, his wife Anna-Myrle (Mrs. Clause), and daughter Dolly (Santa’s Elf). All are dressed in full uniform, so that the children can see Santa leaning out the window to wave at them. Dolly is in charge of replacing Santa’s hat with a new one when the previous hat is lost to the wind.

By 1953, Rose Snow and other very generous helpers are delivering gifts to lighthouses on both coasts – they fly the East Coast in the morning, and then take off to the West Coast for the night shift. They frequently use helicopters, which make it again possible to land, deliver presents, and take off quickly. Rose Snow continues as Santa through 1980, red coat stuffed with pockets upon pockets of candy canes and small toys.

By the late 1980s, lighthouses are mostly automated, but boat stations and other landmarks have shifted into civilian caretaker hands. The Santa of the Lighthouses still flies today, thanks to generous volunteering by Coast Guard members.

The story is a wonderful part of the Christmas season, and the nonprofit Friends of Flying Santa continues to maintain his legacy. Galluzzo says happily, “It gets you in the spirit of Christmas, doesn’t it?”

By Andrea Ray

 

VFW Signs Building Over to Town of Marion

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There was a bittersweetness to the moment when Post Commander Demi Barros took up his pen and touched it down to the paper on the table in front of him before a roomful of Marion selectmen and the few remaining VFW Post 2425 members on the morning of December 7.

After Barros finished signing his own name, he passed the deed to the 456 Mill Road Benjamin D. Cushing VFW building across the table to co-signer Rodney Hunt for his signature, thus officially making the building the property of the Town of Marion.

“It is a sad day for us,” said Barros. “We put a lot of time and did a lot of things for the town and the town did a lot for us. It is a sad, sad moment.”

The best part of it all, though, said Barros, was that hopefully the town will make good use of the building, such as for a senior center for the aging population of Marion.

“I think I need to quiet down now before it gets too tough, so thanks, thank you all,” Barros said.

Selectman Stephen Cushing echoed Barros’ sentiments.

“It’s a very sad day,” said Cushing, whose family has traditionally served in the military generation after generation, including Cushing’s grandfather’s brother, Benjamin D. Cushing. “Today is just a sad day to see this coming to an end, and I want to thank all of you for what you’ve done for this community. What you’ve done was huge over the years.”

By Jean Perry

To The Marion Town House Building Committee

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To The Marion Town House Building Committee:

In response to letters suggesting the practicality of moving our Town House services and activities to the former VFW property, please consider the following recommendations:

It is vitally important to keep Marion’s center of Town government services in the village. Yes, it has always been there and certainly we must consider all practical alternatives. BUT, here are some reasons in support of keeping our Town Hall services in the center of Marion.

The primary reason is “Location.” Consider all the businesses, services, schools, and activities central to the life of the Town: Elizabeth Tabor Library & Natural History Museum; Masonic Lodge; Sippican School and playing field; Marion Art Center; General Store and all the adjacent stores, restaurants and businesses; Post Office; Churches; Music Hall; Historical Society; Island Wharf Park and Town Dock; not to mention Tabor Academy and the Harbor! Many of these buildings are historic and visually interesting.

All these places are within a walkable four- or five-block area. There is sufficient access and available parking for us to come to the village and complete a variety of errands on foot. We can chat with neighbors and friends along the sidewalks. Many times, I have seen Town House employees walking back and forth from Spring Street to Front Street at lunchtime. Boaters walk up from the Town Dock to shop or enjoy an ice cream cone. The people of Marion can and do appreciate the sense of Community that this central part of town provides for all of us.

Unfortunately, access to the new Town-VFW property by car is difficult and dangerous. Crossing on foot or by bike would be hazardous. Route 6 is a state highway with fast moving traffic and its sidewalks are poorly maintained. Our Town House is busy every day with people coming and going and various committees meet almost every night. More people come to attend the hearings. It makes sense to keep all this activity in its present location in the center of town where we can come and go safely and park easily.

Over the recent years and in meetings to prepare for the new Master Plan, we have all tried to find ways to energize our town center. Our Town House is a basic part of the town center. If the Committee finds the costs are too high to renovate the present structure, it would be preferable to demolish the old building and build a new building at the same site. The location is what is important!

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Brainard

Gateway Youth Hockey

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Squirts: On Saturday, December 3, the Squirts fought off Plymouth Red for a 3-0 win. The win was anchored by Ryan Killion in net and the strong defensive play of Pat Tripp, Bree Killion, Mike Brown and John Goll. The offensive attack was balanced and all contributed to the three goals. On Sunday, the Squirts faced off with the Lower Cape Squirt A team in a state play down game. Although the team played great, they suffered a heartbreaking 5-0 loss. The entire team played their best game of the season. On Sunday, December 11, the team got back to league play skating past Plymouth Green 10-2. After a slow start, Tripp opened up the scoring on a feed from Kevin Place. Place followed up with a goal on a feed from Brayden Cannon. Cannon closed out the first with an unassisted effort to make it 3-0. The second period opened with two goals from Tommy Clavell, both assisted from Ben Hebbel and Liz Kilpatrick. Cannon, Clavell, Hebbel, Tripp and Goll all added goals in the win.

PeeWees: Gateway Gladiators PeeWees played Norwood early Saturday. In the first period, Nathan Ribeiro began the scoring for Gateway with an assist by Matthew Paling. Ribeiro came back later to score again, assisted by Jacob Hebbel. In the second period, Brady Kidney put one in with assist from Hebbel. Paling added an unassisted goal. In the third, Ty Rebeiro added an unassisted point. Paling made another unassisted and Ribeiro came in with another shot putting it past the goalie, assisted by Lucas DeMoranville, securing the hat trick for Ribeiro and ending the game with the score of 7-1.

Gateway Gladiators PeeWees played their second early morning game of the weekend on Sunday, facing Pembroke. Rebeiro was able to get Gateway on the board shortly after the first faceoff with the assist credited to Ribeiro. It was a back and forth game into the second where Pembroke scored against first-time goalie Paling. Both teams kept the puck moving end to end leading into the third period. Rebeiro found the net with an assist by Sean Pollock and Connor MacLeod. Ribeiro made a diving backhand shot and scored with the pass coming from Matthew Stone. Rebeiro made two unassisted goals – his third and fourth of the night – ending the game with a 5-1 win for Gateway.

Bantams: The Gladiator Bantam team won again this week against a tough Weymouth team, 4-2. Quirino doCanto put the Gladiators on the board first, with an unassisted goal, just two minutes into the game. Weymouth tied the score late in the first period, but doCanto added his second of the period to make it 2-1, assisted on the goal by Robert Maloney and Austin Fleming. The play went back and forth until Weymouth scored their second goal late in the second period. Once again, doCanto scored assisted by Fleming, giving the Gladiators a one-goal lead. The score remained that way until doCanto got his fourth goal of the game, assisted again by Fleming and Maloney. Alex DeMarco played well in net, once again, making 14 saves.

Grades K-2 Learn to Play Basketball

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In this class, instructors will focus on fundamentals of the game of basketball and basics of dribbling, passing, shooting, defense, and of course teamwork. Participants will also have the opportunity to play smaller games with adaptive nets. The program runs Saturdays beginning January 17, 2017 and runs through March 4, 2017. It is designed for beginner players or players in grades K-2. Classes take place at Sippican School Gymnasium. Cost for participants is $75 for 8 instructional weeks and includes a participant T-shirt. You may register online at www.marionrecreation.com or by mailing in a paper registration form to Marion Recreation, 13 Atlantis Drive, Marion, MA 02738. You do not need to live in Marion to attend this clinic. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Marion Recreation at 774-217-8355 or info@marionrecreation.com.

Falmouth Academy Head of School’s List

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Falmouth Academy has announced its Head of School’s List for academic achievement in the first trimester. Students named to the list have earned at least three A’s and no grade below B-minus for the trimester, which ended November 22.

12th Grade: Oliver Russell of Mattapoisett & Eliza Van Voorhis of Mattapoisett

11th Grade: Alissya Silva of Marion

10th Grade: Emma Keeler of Rochester & Grace Russell of Mattapoisett

8th Grade: Eleanor Beams of Mattapoisett

7th Grade: Maxwell Richins of Marion

ORR Turf Video

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ORR Turf is proud to release a two-minute informational video with vivid new images of the current poor conditions of the Tri-Town’s outdoor recreational space at Old Rochester Regional High School.

Students are featured in the video talking about the challenges of playing in the poor conditions, and we show what an amazing community area we can create with this initiative.

ORR Turf is encouraging people to consider donating now before the end of year and join its Founder’s Club. All donations will be used toward renovation of the outdoor rec spaces at ORR. ORR TURF is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization comprised of citizens of Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester. Consult your tax professional.

You can view the video at www.ORRTurf.com.

New Associate Member For ConCom

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It was a pretty quiet night for the Rochester Conservation Commission when they met on December 6, but the members were excited to welcome a new associate member.

Submitting a letter of interest to become a member of the commission was Maggie K. Payne, 555 Walnut Plain Road. Payne said she and her family had moved to town two years ago and that she wished to lend her expertise in helping with local conservation efforts and to meet the people of the community.

Payne noted that she is a soil scientist employed by Natural Resources Conservation Services under the direction of the USDA. The work of the NRCS is noted on their website: “NRCS helps America’s farmers, ranchers and forest landowners conserve the nation’s soil, water, air and other natural resources. All programs are voluntary and offer science-based solutions that benefit both the landowner and the environment.”

            Her request for consideration was enthusiastically received by the commission members with Rosemary Smith saying, “I’m excited to have her.”

After unanimously accepting her request, the commission members explained that she would have all the same rights and responsibilities as appointed members with the exception of the right to vote on matters before the commission.

Earlier in the meeting, the commission met with Brian Grady of G.A.F. Engineering on a request for an amended order of conditions for property located at 356 Snow’s Pond Road.

The new owner, John Draper, purchased the parcel from Gloria Doviak and sought to have a previous order of conditions amended to suit his plans to build a new home on the site.

Grady explained there were minor differences between what Doviak had proposed to build on the site versus what Draper now wished to do. Both parties, however, planned for the razing of an existing structure situated along the bank of the pond.

Commission member Laurene Gerrior said that she had previously voted ‘nay’ to Doviak’s plans and “This is a delicate property … this kind of thing upset me.”

Conservation Agent Laurell Farinon said that the new plan would provide better safeguards to the bank area and that new septic system technology was superior to anything that had previously been near the pond.

The commission voted in the majority to approve the request with a ‘no’ vote from Gerrior.

The commissioners also discussed their right of refusal on a parcel owned by Thomas Gayoski, Jr., located off Alley Road. Farinon said the property consisted of 72 acres with a price tag of $185,000. After some discussion, the commissioners expressed no interest in acquiring the property.

The next meeting of the Rochester Conservation Commission is scheduled for December 20 at 7:00 pm in the town hall meeting room.

By Marilou Newell

 

Theresa E. Dougall

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Theresa E. Dougall, 70, of Marion, entered eternal life on Monday, December 12, 2016 surrounded by her loving family and friends after a long and courageous battle with myelofibrosis. Born in New Bedford on December 3, 1946, Terry was the daughter of the late Lionel and Mary (Ponte) Perry.

Terry was a graduate of Our Lady of Mount Carmel School and Bishop Stang High School; she earned her undergraduate degree from Stonehill College, and her Master’s degree from Bridgewater State University. Terry returned to Bishop Stang in 1968 and began her 44 year career in Catholic education.
Over those 44 years as a distinguished educator, award winning field hockey coach, and administrator, Terry touched the lives of thousands of Spartans and inspired many alumni to pursue careers in medicine and other science related fields. She was named Teacher of the Year by the Sigma Xi Society of UMass Dartmouth. Terry earned several coach of the year titles and her field hockey teams won many state and league championships. She started the financial aid program at Bishop Stang because she wanted every student who wanted to be a Spartan, to have that opportunity. Terry was appointed principal in 1987, and the first President of Bishop Stang High School in 1994.

In the greater community, Terry served as a volunteer EMT for the town of Marion. She also served in different leadership positions of the National Catholic Educator’s Association for many years, and was the recipient of the NCEA Catholic Secondary Education Award. She served as chairperson on numerous reaccreditation teams through the New England Association of Schools and Colleges; she was one of the founding board members of the Catholic Educator’s Collaborative at Stonehill College, and it was under Terry’s leadership that Bishop Stang High School was named a nationally recognized Blue Ribbon School of Excellence.

Terry is survived by godchildren Pamela Baptiste, Paul Rapoza, and Simone Payette, and many cousins. She was ‘Vavo’ to Lucas, Simone, and Eric Payette. Terry is also survived by her very dear friends, Cecile and Ron LaRochelle and Jean Revil, and many other friends who considered her ‘family’. Terry enjoyed spending time with her family and friends and traveling.

Her Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Friday December 16, 2016 at 11:30 AM at St. Julie Billiart Church, Dartmouth. Burial in St. John’s Cemetery will be private. Visiting hours will be held on Thursday December 15, 2016 from 4-8 PM at the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Route 6, Mattapoisett. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Terry’s honor to Bishop Stang High School, 500 Slocum Rd., Dartmouth, MA 02747. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

Toys for Tots Drive at ORRHS

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Come help spread some holiday cheer. Next week, the Community Service Learning Program and the National Honor Society at ORRHS will be teaming up with the Marion, Mattapoisett, and Rochester police departments for the on-going Toys for Tots drive. Please bring unwrapped toys to the high school on Wednesday, December 14 from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm and help stuff three cruisers full of toys for children this holiday season. All donated toys will go to the local Toys for Tots drop off location supported by the United States Marine Corps Reserve.