Eagle Scout Recognized

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Last year, just before Christmas, John (Jack) Richard Nakashian physically completed his Eagle Scout service project, a 160-foot elevated walkway on the White Eagle Trail at the end of Parlowtown Road in Marion. The service project is one of the final requirements to reach the Eagle Scout rank.

On November 26, and after serving 12 years between Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, Jack was publicly recognized by Troop 32 of Marion in a Court of Honor for meeting all the requirements to achieve the Boy Scouts of America’s highest rank, Eagle Scout. Participants in the ceremony included many Marion residents. Paul St. Don, Troop 32 Scoutmaster, performed the role of Master of Ceremony and read the Eagle Scout Rank Charge that included the actual awarding of the Eagle Scout rank badge. Jack Gordon, Troop 32 Eagle Scout, read the Eagle Scout Challenge. Robert Pereira, Troop 32 Committee Chairman, as an Eagle Scout recipient himself read the welcome to Eagle Scout Rank. Peter Winters, representing the First Congregational Church of Marion, awarded Jack a citation from United States Senator Elizabeth Warren. In Jack’s speech following his award, he gave recognition to all the scout leaders who have kept Troop 32 Marion alive over the years that Jack was in scouting.

Jack is now attending college at Massachusetts Maritime Academy and studying Marine Engineering where, as Jack pointed out in his speech, he is surrounded by many former Scouts, many of them Eagle Scouts.

A portion of the ceremony included merit badge and rank-ups awards for the Troop 32 Marion Scouts who are currently on their trail to the Eagle Scout rank.

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Thoughts on Local Whaling History

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The life and work of Herman Melville (1819-1894) coincided with the rise and fall of the whaling industry, and in 1841 he set sail from Fairhaven in the whaler Acushnet on a quest for sea-going experience that later in 1850 would launch the nautical narrative Moby Dick as a most prodigious novel in American literature.

Before his departure, he stayed in New Bedford, which he described as the dearest place on Earth to visit, going to church at Seamen’s Bethel to hear the legendary Reverend Mudge preach from his bowsprit pulpit about dangerous encounters with monsters of the deep.

The sperm whale was known to fight back with fury, to ram the ship to stove it in, actually sinking the whalers Kathleen, Pocahontas, Ann Alexander, and the Essex out of Nantucket, the plot for Moby Dick and Nathaniel Philbrick’s In the Heart of the Sea.

At the New Bedford Whaling Museum, the most popular nexus to whaling is the annual Moby Dick marathon in mid January, taking 25 hours to read the entire masterpiece written in the winter of 1850/51 on his second-floor desk at Arrowhead residence in Pittsfield, MA, now a museum open to 6,000 visitors a year.

Out his window, he took inspiration from the view of the Berkshire Mountains that he and his contemporaries joked about exuding creative kinetic energy to fuel their writing. Particularly for Melville, there was Mt. Greylock, whose rising shape resembled the hump of a whale.

He took his publisher Every Doychinck, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Oliver Wendell Holmes on a picnic to the top of nearby Monument Mountain where a thunderstorm with wind and rain crowded them under a rock shelter. But Melville, who had a literary fixation about man against the elements, stood out on the peak to entertain his guests by waving his arms and shouting ship commands, railing against the elements much like Captain Ahab on the Pequod.

Historian Judith Westland Rosbe wrote about whaling in her book Maritime Marion: “For many, the sea is a temperamental and dangerous mistress and the town experienced both great gains and loss of life and property.”

Fortunately, today we can enjoy a great historical wealth of local nautical heritage.

By George B. Emmons

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Tabor Boy Arrives in Bermuda

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While most of us were enjoying the Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends and taking advantage of some time off, the crew of the S.S.V. Tabor Boy successfully completed the first leg of their journey, arriving at the island country of Bermuda on the morning of November 26.

Four mornings prior, on November 22, Tabor Boy left the Fairhaven Shipyard in New Bedford Harbor. In Fairhaven, the vessel was briefly removed from the water for maintenance, and then later returned to the water where final preparations for the voyage were conducted. This departure was two days later than scheduled due to a storm offshore that brought dangerous sea conditions and high winds that persisted until Monday.

Despite the challenges that the trip inevitably brought, the first leg of the trip proved to be memorable, especially for those who experienced it for the first time. Aidan McEnroe, a senior at Tabor and the executive officer (XO) of the Tabor Boy, was blown away by the voyage.

“The sail south was one of the most incredible experiences of my life,” said McEnroe. “Sailing offshore for two weeks is the best academic decision I’ve ever made.”

The stop in Bermuda was used to restock on necessary supplies and relieve the sea legs, but it was also a chance to showcase the Tabor Boy on the island and reconnect with Tabor alumni and families living on the island.

On November 27, Head of School John Quirk joined the Tabor Boy crew dockside on the island for a reception with these alumni and families. The Tabor Boy holds these receptions throughout the spring and summer across Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha’s Vineyard, but the trip to the Virgin Islands provides the opportunity for the Tabor Boy to visit several locations off the Eastern Seaboard.

The crew onboard the vessel is led by longtime Tabor Boy Captain James Geil. Zane Randall is operating as chief mate, Kevin Murray as second mate, and Elise Hubner as licensed third mate. Three classes of 2016 Tabor graduates – Deckhand Hayden Mann, Cook Tucker Francis, and former XO and deckhand Thibaut Deluca-Verley – are spending a portion of their gap years aboard the Tabor Boy as members of the crew. The final member of the crew for the trip to Bermuda is XO Aidan McEnroe, who will be returning to school after the Tabor Boy arrives in the Virgin Islands.

The Tabor Boy departed Bermuda early in the morning on November 29, setting sail for her destination of St. John in the United States Virgin Islands. Once on the island, the crew will prepare the vessel for its role as a floating laboratory for the school’s REEF program. REEF is a program that allows students to learn about the history, culture, and unique ocean ecology of the Caribbean.

For eight days each, seven groups of 15 Tabor students will fly south to meet the Tabor Boy in St. John. There, the students will collect data on the health of the Elkhorn coral and the waters in and around the Virgin Islands National Park for the National Park Service, U.S. Geological Survey, and the Department of the Interior.

After the REEF program is concluded, several current members of the Tabor Boy crew will join the hired crew in the Virgin Islands to begin the voyage back north to Sippican Harbor. This trip occurs primarily during spring break, ensuring students miss as little school as possible. By arranging the REEF program schedule in this way, more students are able to experience the unique offshore trip.

“Sailing offshore is something no other high schools offer,” said McEnroe as he prepared for the early morning departure from Bermuda. With these opportunities on the Tabor Boy, “The School By The Sea” certainly lives up to its name.

By Jack Gordon

 

Council on Aging Addresses Selectmen on COA Goals

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Rochester Council on Aging Director Sharon Lally told the Rochester Board of Selectmen on November 28 that the COA Board of Directors has been meeting regularly, planning short- and long-term goals for the senior center and the senior population of Rochester in general.

Lally said the COA has met with an outside consultant to assess the needs of the senior center and the aging population to form short-range plans that can be implemented sooner rather than later, as well as long-range plans that the town can work towards and prepare planning for.

Short-term goals that Lally deemed the “low-hanging fruit,” relatively easy to achieve, include obtaining a one-day liquor license from the state so that occasional functions could be held at the senior center, and perhaps hall rentals could help boost revenue, as well as keep larger COA events in the town instead of outside venues.

“We’re not looking for this to be a routine thing,” said COA volunteer Woody Hartley. “Maybe just a one or two times a year thing…. We just want to let you know that it’s something that we’re working towards,” Hartley told selectmen.

For long-range plans, Lally spoke of expanding the space at the senior center, saying, “We’re bursting at the seams,” calling expansion an immediate need, along with additional parking for the site.

Hartley said he hopes selectmen might consider expanding senior center parking into the adjacent town-owned lot so that seniors and other guests do not have to park so far away, with cars sometimes stretching all the way out to the abutting ball field.

Selectmen Chairman Naida Parker agreed that parking was an issue for patrons, “And walking is especially difficult on uneven surfaces,” she added.

Next, Lally said an ongoing wish for the COA is to establish a senior supportive daycare program to offer social support for seniors with mild dementia who are isolated in the community.

“People who need to get out of their homes and may need some supervision and direction,” Lally said.

Another need for the COA is to increase its support staff, as Lally said she already manages around 150 COA volunteers and feels she may eventually need help with their coordination. She added that there is a definite need for the expansion of hours of operation as well to include evening and weekend activities for seniors who still work during the week.

There was further discussion about transportation funding and an imminent need to purchase a new COA van and perhaps additional drivers as well.

“We are growing and growing,” said Lally.

Hartley and Lally advocated for an increase in allowable senior tax work-off program hours, which is currently capped at $750 or 75 hours of service. According to Lally, the state has increased the allowable amount to $1,500 per senior citizen, and selectmen agreed that now might be the time to increase the cap to $1,000 or 100 hours of service.

“One hundred hours is certainly more amenable than seventy-five,” Hartley said.

“We’re on board with that,” said Selectman Brad Morse.

“We’re sold,” said Parker.

No vote was taken that evening, but the board agreed that action would be taken in the near future to allow the senior tax work-off program increase.

Other long-term goals included research into adding more affordable senior housing to the town, as well as possibly forming an affordable housing trust.

Lally said the current population of seniors in Rochester is 1,435.

“And it’s going to go up again before 2020 when the census is taken,” she said. “We’re a pretty big piece of the population.”

“We are looking toward the future, and we are planning for the future,” said Hartley.

The next meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen is scheduled for December 12 at 6:30 pm at the Rochester Town Hall.

By Jean Perry

 

RHS at the Plumb Library Holiday Fair

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The Rochester Historical Society will be on hand on December 3 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm at the Plumb Library Holiday Fair with everything Rochester. They will be selling sweatshirts (hooded and not / zippered and not), hats, T-shirts, golf shirts, books about Rochester, and wooden notion boxes. They will also have some hand-made knitted and crocheted items. These are all great items for last minute Christmas shopping. Hope you can stop by.

Old Colony Heads to Fall Leadership Conference

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This past Sunday, November 20, nine of Old Colony’s SkillsUSA members headed to Marlborough, Massachusetts to attend the annual SkillsUSA Massachusetts Fall State Leadership Conference.

By 11:00 am, the group was off, accompanied by their two advisers, Norman L’Heureux and Lindsey Couto. The event was held at the Best Western Hotel, which hosted not only the conference but also the 52 schools attending.

State Officers opened the floor, introducing the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation and Be Like Brit as charities to which SkillsUSA would be contributing. Tim Lawrence and Karen Ward, the national executive director and Massachusetts executive director, spoke on the importance of leadership and its role in the workplace. This was preceded by a fashion show displaying proper work attire for the various trades.

The students were then allowed back to their hotel rooms, where they put away their luggage for the week and donned their professional dress. Once back at the conference room, students worked together to design quilt squares showcasing diversity and understanding among people. This would be the last time the students would work together as a school. For the rest of the week, they would split up and join separate teams to compete for gold, silver, and bronze metals.

By the afternoon, students were working diligently within one of seven teams, with each team consisting of different groups competing in separate competitions. Each competition focused on challenging a student’s leadership, communications skills, group dynamics, and employability skills. Students worked on their respective projects all day, checking in with their team and returning to their hotel room late at 11:00 pm.

Community service kids spent their day away at the Metrowest YMCA. There, they cleared walking trails, repaired and painted picnic tables, and performed other maintenance work in an attempt to get the facility ready for spring.

The students dressed in layers and were supplied warm hats, safety glasses, work gloves, and hand warmers in an effort to stay safe while braving the cold. Though it was a bitter 16 degrees with wind chill, no complaints were heard from the community service groups.

In between working on readying their projects for competition, students enjoyed meals provided by the hotel and attended workshops focused on developing workplace skills. One workshop focused on teaching the students to acknowledge their strengths and taught them the different types of management techniques and how these different personalities were each valuable to a working team. The other taught students about work preparedness, focusing on proper hygiene and personal maintenance habits.

Students also worked to earn their SkillsUSA Massachusetts Leader Award, the highest leadership award offered in Massachusetts. In order to earn such a prestigious award, students had to complete a workbook and memorize criteria of SkillsUSA programs such as the pledge, habits of highly effective teens, and the meaning of the SkillsUSA emblem. Although it is not an easy feat to memorize an entire book’s worth of information in three days, every student managed it by the end of the week.

The students weren’t the only ones working. While they worked within their teams, their advisors were working in teams of their own. The advisors completed workshops and competitions that earned them Massachusetts Professional Development points.

Monday night marked a night of celebration. All work had been completed and for the first time since arrival, students were allowed to cut loose and show off their skills in the talent show. Amazing magicians, dancers, and musicians all played for the entertainments of their fellow students. Kids were welcomed to attend a dance social or an open mic night. Some of the more tired teens just headed up to bed. By midnight curfew, everyone, including the advisors, was ready to hit the hay.

By the time the judging occurred on Tuesday, students were both exhausted and excited – exhausted from the intense and demanding programs and schedule, but excited for the chance to win a gold metal. Teams waited to be called forward to display to the judges what they had accomplished. At the final closing ceremony, winners were announced and called to receive their medals. Whether win or lose, the Old Colony students left with a better appreciation for leadership, volunteerism, and workplace skills.

By Elizabeth Jerome

 

Brandt Island Sub-Division Phase 2

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During the November 28 meeting of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission, Al Loomis of McKenzie Engineering Group, representing Armand Cortellesso of Brandt Island Realty Trust, sought orders of conditions for two notice of intent filings for lots in Phase 2 of the Brandt Village sub-division.

The housing project has been the subject of many hearings, meetings, and discussions since it was first approved nearly a decade ago. On this night, concerns that had been aired at Planning Board meetings bled over into the conservation hearing, but only briefly.

Loomis explained that the two homes planned for construction in Phase 2 were being built by Cortellesso on speculation. With that being the case, he said that some landscaping details might change slightly when buyers take possession. If that should happen, those owners would request an amended order of conditions, he said.

The commission members were satisfied with the plans as submitted, but not before hearing from one resident whose voice has sounded time and again at Planning Board meetings with concerns over the large sub-division and issues documented by the town’s engineer, Field Engineering.

Paul Osenkowski, 8 Oaklawn Avenue, was recognized by Chairman Bob Rogers during the public hearing. Osenkowski inquired how the private septic system could handle Phase 2 when it had apparently failed testing with only the homes of Phase 1 utilizing it. Rogers told Osenkowski to take it up with the Board of Health.

Osenkowski made a gesture that implied no one was taking responsibility for the issues he was attempting to point out, saying, “It goes on and on, Bob, all the time.”

Rogers responded, “I know … we take care of the business in front of us.” He said, “If everyone does their job, we end up with a good result.” He said that if other boards and town departments wanted to meet with members of the commission that would be fine, but the commission would review only the matters before it.

Loomis offered, “The Planning Board has a $1.4 million bond in place … they maintain control … there are safeguards in place.”

Osenkowski pressed on, asking about problems with the stormwater system that had been discussed at Planning Board meetings and saying runoff would impact other properties and wetlands.

Loomis discussed how the problems brought to light by Field Engineering with respect to the size and position of grates for the system are being addressed and that new custom-made covers would be in place shortly.

Rogers did acknowledge that problems with the main road that serves the Phase 1 residents were of a longstanding nature, saying it “was not one person’s fault…”

Osenkowski said, “Barry [Denham] has been asking for a topcoat for five years.”

Rogers concluded, “The town deserves better and the residents deserve better.”

The commissioners voted to condition the notice of intent filings for two Phase 2 lots as presented.

A request for determination of applicability from Fred Schernecker, 1 Goodspeed Island, received an order of conditions. Represented by Douglas Schneider of N. Douglas Schneider & Associates, the Scherneckers are planning to remove a structural gazebo and replace it with a deck and patio area that is located in land subject to coastal storm flowage and is within the 100-foot buffer zone.

William and Lenore Everett, 99 Mattapoisett Neck Road, received an order of conditions for their RDA filing for the removal of up to 10 trees on their property. Everett described the poor condition of the trees and possible damage to electrical cables in the area planned for clearing.

A continued hearing with Daniel and Lisa Craig, 4 Seabreeze Lane, had to be continued again when their representative, Brandon Fanuef of Ecosystem Solutions, Inc., was unavoidably delayed. The hearing will resume on December 12.

Also requesting and receiving a continuation was a notice of intent filed by Samuel Waterston, 13 Shipyard Lane, for an addition to an existing groin that will access a proposed gangway and float. The hearing is continued until December 12.

The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission is scheduled for December 12 at 6:30 pm in the town hall conference room. This will be the only meeting of the commission in December.

By Marilou Newell

 

Selectman Wants Focus on Annex-Only Option

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Rochester Board of Selectmen member Richard Nunes announced on November 22 that he thinks the town should focus on exploring building options for a town hall annex only, after Town Meeting voters in October overwhelmingly rejected an article for $20,000 to hire an owners project manager to analyze options for a brand new town hall or town annex building.

“I think it’s pretty clear that resources are limited and we really can’t afford to do a new town hall,” said Nunes, “and I really don’t want the [town hall annex] building committee to continue to have meetings exploring those kinds of options such as a new town hall when, really, the townspeople don’t want to go in that direction.”

Nunes said he prefers that the focus stay on building a new town hall annex because the original intent was to cease having to lease the space from the Women’s Club. A new town hall annex built beside the town hall and connected by a “breezeway” would be ideal, he said.

“…So that you don’t have to directly abut the old [town hall] building in order to bring it up to code because it would cost millions to bring town hall up to today’s code,” Nunes stated.

Town-owned property located on Dexter Lane between the police station and the senior center is still an option, said Nunes, “But I think we should just focus on the annex and the need to get out of leasing town space…”

Selectman Brad Morse added that the town departments located at the current town hall annex are outgrowing the space, which is the real driving issue behind the need to explore town hall annex solutions.

“No matter what, it’s going to cost money,” Morse said.

Town Administrator Suzanne Szyndlar suggested inviting the town hall study committee to attend a meeting with the selectmen.

“I would like to hear their opinion on what they want to do and what they want to recommend to us,” said Morse.

Nunes reiterated his position on the need to remain focused on an annex only.

“If it comes to a vote, that’s [how] I’m going to be voting,” said Nunes.

In other matters, in light of the approaching resignation of Chief Dispatcher Tracy Eldridge, the town administrator told selectmen that a meeting with Rochester dispatch center employees resulted in a temporary solution of sorts, which includes spreading out the chief dispatcher position’s duties among the other employees.

“They would all like to see one of them be a lead to take the responsibilities,” said Szyndlar, which would involve restructuring supervision of dispatch, modest wage increases, and the hiring of a part-time dispatcher to replace another’s promotion to full-time.

“I think it’s a great solution to a problem here,” Szyndlar said.

By Jean Perry

 

Land Trust Seeks Purchase of Historic Quarry

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The Mattapoisett Land Trust is looking to acquire a 53-acre parcel off Mattapoisett Neck Road, once the site of the historic Hammond Quarry, an active pink granite mine dating back to about 1710 up until the early 1900s.

Although the region is most famous for its whaling history, the area was once a significant spot for the sought-after pink granite used to build the foundations of local homes, wharves, piers, and street curbs, as well as lighthouses, in addition to being exported far and wide.

The MLT is hoping to purchase the land, preserve the two quarry pits that lie hidden beneath overgrown brush and towering white pines in the woods, and carve out hiking trails and build information kiosks for public use with the assistance of the Mattapoisett Historical Society.

The acquisition, appraised at $570,000, would serve as a link that would create roughly 400-plus acres of contiguous conservation land, linking the Hammond Quarry to the bike path, surrounding Land Trust properties, and also the Nasketucket Bay State Reservation.

MLT President Mike Huguenin said the Mattapoisett Land Trust has applied for Community Preservation Act funding for $75,000; however, the Mattapoisett Community Preservation Committee has not yet received an application from the MLT by deadline for consideration in the current funding cycle. Huguenin is also hopeful that the Land Trust might be granted state funding for $300,000 due to the presence of an endangered box turtle habitat. The rest of the funding, the Land Trust hopes, will come from private donations.

“We think we have the potential to preserve a good piece of history and wildlife habitat that is significant to the town,” said Huguenin.

Huguenin led a group of over 50 residents on a walk about the property on Saturday, November 26, on newly cleared trails the property owner allowed the Land Trust to clear for the occasion. Trails led to two quarry pits: the east pit – dry, covered with debris with large white pines reaching up towards the sky, and the west pit – surrounded by granite outcroppings and stagnant water filling the pit like milk at the bottom of a cereal bowl.

The trails slope up and down slightly through the woodland, with holly groves and baby pines filling in the lower space of the woods over the almost 100 years since mining at the site ceased.

Little is known about the history of Hammond Quarry, but the Land Trust and Historical Society is digging deep into the past of the site, mining as much information about it to share with the public and make the land acquisition one that Mattapoisett residents will treasure – not just for its historical value, but also for its natural beauty.

Mattapoisett currently boasts over 2,800 acres of protected open space.

“We just think it would be great to add these old quarries to that,” said Huguenin.

For more information or to make a donation towards the acquisition of Hammond Quarry, visit www.mattlandtrust.org.

By Jean Perry

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Where The Library Is Always Open

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In a modern world where much reading is done via the use of electronic devices, librarians are working hard to keep libraries relevant. And there is a growing movement to get the word out – the written word, that is, in the form of real tangible books.

For one Mattapoisett resident, printed books are still very relevant, and helping the community with easy free access to books seems even more relevant. To that end, Mary Kathleen Briand, AKA ‘Mary K,’ has a rather special tiny building right in her front yard for her particular purpose.

“I was on a business trip in Maryland,” Briand said, “and I saw what looked like an English phone booth.” When she inquired of her traveling companion what the structure was, she learned it was a Little Free Library, a small kiosk where books may be borrowed and exchanged anytime, any day, by anybody.

Briand explained that she thought it would be fun and useful to her neighborhood as well as the larger community to have a little free library in her front yard.

“I get a fair amount of foot traffic going by my front door,” she said.

Briand’s home is next door to the tennis courts at Center School. There, sprouted in her front yard, is the attractive little book box. But the real inspiration for following through and learning more about Little Free Libraries was her mother, a former reading teacher.

Todd Bol of Hudson, Wisconsin first established the Little Free Library movement in 2009. Bol’s idea was inspired by his mother. She had been an educator.

With an associate, Bol struck on the concept of placing little libraries in under-serviced neighborhoods or in rural locations where getting to a brick and mortar library might prove difficult or even impossible.

On the Little Free Library website, www.littlefreelibrary.org, the founders’ stated mission is “To promote literacy and the love of reading by building free book exchanges worldwide and to build a sense of community as we share skills, creativity and wisdom across generations.” The website reports that by November 2016, 50,000 little libraries had been established around the globe.

Book exchanges aren’t a new idea. One can find book exchanges almost everywhere, even at local landfills. Yet, having a little free library in one’s neighborhood makes accessing something to read more of a social activity.

“You never know what book someone might leave in the library,” Briand said.

Little Free Library is a nonprofit organization. There are fees associated with full participation. Those subscribing to partner with LFL are called stewards and are given permission to use the name, logo, to register their library on the LFL website, and full access to their Facebook page. LFL uses donations and registration fees to place libraries in areas where economic conditions have compromised access to books.

Stewards provide the library structures by building them to suggested size and scale, buying pre-built libraries, or purchasing the materials from LFL. It’s important that anyone planning to put a little library on their property check in with local building departments to ensure compliance with all local codes and standards.

And lest you think LFL hasn’t gone big time, Whoopi Goldberg included LFL in her November 2016 list of favorite things that was aired on the program The View. Audience members were asked to bring a book to donate. Enough books were donated to fill five little free libraries. The libraries were given to communities who had pre-registered with the show. Those libraries went to cities and towns in Florida, California, North Carolina, and New Jersey.

Briand’s library has only been up for a few weeks.

“The children across the street watch the library and tell me when someone has stopped by,” Briand said. She hopes to get the word out that there is a Little Free Library ready and waiting in the Mattapoisett village area.

There are two other Little Free Libraries in Mattapoisett. One is at the Mattapoisett Housing Authority located at 1 Acushnet Road and the other is at 4 Edgewood Lane.

As for Briand’s library, she invites all to by stop. Currently, there are children’s holiday storybooks, as well as mysteries, classics, and a few surprises.

One final word on reading, Will Schwalbe of The Wall Street Journal recently wrote an article on the importance of reading with a sub-heading of “Reading books remains one of the best ways to engage with the world, become a better person and understand life’s questions big and small.”

By Marilou Newell