Rochester Grange Fair

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It’s that time again. The Rochester Grange Fair will be held Saturday, August 17 at the Grange Hall 205 Hartley Road. Fair books are out with all the information needed to enter or visit the Fair.

            If you would like to enter, please bring your entries to the hall on Friday the 16 between 2:00 pm and 4:00 and between 7:00 pm and 8:30 pm. Judging will begin as soon as all entries are in place. Anyone of any age may enter. You do not need to be a Rochester resident. The green fair book is meant to be a guard. If you do not see what you have to enter listed, that is OK, we will still accept any and all entries.

            There will also be a bake table and raffles. A Ham & Bean Supper will be held at 6:00 pm. The cost of the supper is $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for children under 10. Tickets can be bought at the door. Reservations are not necessary but helpful. Following the supper, an auction of produce and flowers from the fair will be auctioned off.

            We look forward to seeing both old and new friends of the fair on the 16th and 17th. For more information, please call Sue at 508- 295-8908 or email at sash48@comcast.net.

A Latin-American Festival

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The Marion Concert Band will present a Latin-American “Festival” of music on Friday, August 9. The diverse program includes music from Mexico, Spain, Brazil and the Caribbean, as well as familiar music that demonstrates the influence that Latin-American musical styles have had on American popular music. To add to the festive atmosphere of the evening, the audience is encouraged to wear tropical or Latin-American attire. The program is as follows:

España Cañi (Paso Doble) – P. Marquina

Iberian Escapades – R. Sheldon

Brazilian Festival – A. C. Jobim

Danzon No. 2 – A. Marquez

Tijuana Brass in Concert – arr. T. Ricketts

Mas Que Nada – J. Ben

Granada – A. Lara

Montego Bay (samba) – S. Nestico

Mambo Greats – S. Bulla

Blue Mambo – M. Sweeney

Malagueña – E. Lecuona

            The concert, under the direction of Tobias Monte, will begin at 7:00 at the Robert Broomhead Bandstand, Island Wharf off Front Street in Marion. All concerts are free and open to the public. “Like” us on Facebook at “Marion Town Band” for up-to-date announcements and rain cancellation notices.

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To the Editor;

            I have been following the commentary concerning the trees being removed for the purpose of street and sidewalk up grades. One point I feel that is very important to consider is the damage these trees will cause after a hurricane. As we all know they were planted after the devastating hurricane of 1938. Should we get hit with a hurricane similar to that one, homes in the village will be in the danger zone. I have attached a photo to show some uprooted trees to prove my point.

            I hope we can move forward ASAP to remove these trees and let the Town Tree Committee as well as the new Committee approved at town meeting decide where to place replacement trees that will not put homes in danger during a future hurricane.

            We as taxpayers have a great opportunity to have the whole job paid for without raising our taxes. We should move quickly to get this job completed.

Pura Vida,

Ray M Cabral, Mattapoisett

The views expressed in the “Letters to the Editor” column are not necessarily those of The Wanderer, its staff or advertisers. The Wanderer will gladly accept any and all correspondence relating to timely and pertinent issues in the great Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester area, provided they include the author’s name, address and phone number for verification. We cannot publish anonymous, unsigned or unconfirmed submissions. The Wanderer reserves the right to edit, condense and otherwise alter submissions for purposes of clarity and/or spacing considerations. The Wanderer may choose to not run letters that thank businesses, and The Wanderer has the right to edit letters to omit business names. The Wanderer also reserves the right to deny publication of any submitted correspondence. All letters must be typed and submitted directly to: news@wanderer.com.

Historic District Bylaw Nearing Rollout

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            Marion’s Historic District Draft Bylaw is not quite ready for public consumption, but two key votes held during Monday’s Zoom meeting of the Study Committee have positioned the document for critical next steps.

            “This is a huge step forward,” said Committee Chairman Will Tifft.

            On Monday, the committee approved changes to Sections 1-8 of the draft and approved Sections 9 through Appendices that were recommended by consultant Eric Dray at the committee’s last meeting on July 21.

            Monday’s meeting provided an opportunity to review those changes and vote to push the document forward. One of those changes would have the Sippican Historical Society document buildings to be demolished rather than requiring a homeowner to do so. Public and private signage was also addressed.

            “The mission of the committee is to study options for historic preservation in a local community and to then make a recommendation to the commonwealth and the local community as to what should or should not be done. The committee has not yet made a formal recommendation, but we have the committee on a path to recommend that the town pass a bylaw defining a historic district and defining what the requirements of that historic district might be,” explained Tifft. “We have publicly stated in a presentation going back over a year … the committee has been leaning towards a bylaw that is materially less rigorous than is commonly the case in the commonwealth. We are very much taking into account people’s concerns … what people might perceive as an overly demanding set of rules that would prevent people from making their own home their home. We’re still on that path.”

            Tifft said the committee does not wish to copy places such as Nantucket or Edgartown and demand front doors are painted a certain color or that certain types of materials and processes are necessarily followed in construction projects. The priority, he said, is to help Marion maintain a character in appearance, not necessarily turn the town into a museum.

            “We have deliberately exempted things like signs and fences and lights and window treatments,” he said. “We’re very much conscious – there’s a value in people’s individuality … they should be able to change over time.”

            Late year, the Marion Select Board approved the creation of a local Historic District Study Committee, appointed Tifft, Margie Baldwin, Jill Pittman, Dan Crete, George Morton and Stephen Swain as members. Meg Steinberg of the Marion Historical Commission has been acting as an advisor to the committee.

            Having researched required processes for the formulation of a historic district, the committee arrived at a tentative definition of the village and, on September 12, 2023, presented results of a village-wide survey to a large gathering at the Music Hall. The survey was sent to approximately 200 property owners, bringing back 80 responses. The 39% response rate was enthusiastically received as a valid representation of the village.

            Tifft told that initial gathering that the committee was created not because some people were being “frivolous” or that they were worried a big-box store would be dropped into the village but because of what the town might lose without a bylaw.

            “Some buildings were being torn down, some things were being changed in ways that were not necessarily in the character of the town,” said Tifft, clarifying that the committee had not predetermined a problem and a solution but wanted to find out what “other people in the town and particularly in the village thought about it.”

            Dray, whose services are paid by the Sippican Historical Society and partially funded via Community Preservation Act funds as awarded by the town’s Community Preservation Committee, calls Marion’s village the “most historic, intact village on the south coast.”

            Tracing the growth of the village to the effect that the 1799 Meeting House (now the General Store) had on Main Street’s modest residences, Dray showed that by 1858 the village had taken its current shape, except for Front and Cottage streets. By 1879, Front, Hiller, South and Water streets were filling in.

            It wasn’t until the early 20th century that seasonal population began dictating jobs. With the decline of the marine-related economy and the coincidental emergence of tourism, larger cottages appeared on Water Street. The Sippican Hotel and Casino no longer stands, but it was impactful in that Marion became a destination from far-away places.

            Defining the beginning and end of Marion village is something Dray sees as self-evident in iterations as shown on period maps. The result is a geographically uneven shape but one that follows key streets developed over time. That includes Main Street clear out to Route 6 (including Sippican Elementary School), Front Street only briefly north (not including Tabor Academy’s sprawling campus), the block encompassing South Street and the full extension of Water Street as influenced by hotel-driven development.

            Dray shared visual examples of the main architectural styles represented in the village over the years. The committee does not see Marion as cookie-cutter in its architecture.

            While the survey indicated that nine of 10 village homeowners believe in the preservation of a historic district in Marion, only 71% (42% yes, 29% maybe but needing more information) said they would support the district’s review of character-defining details of historic buildings such as decorative door surrounds, as well as additions, demolitions and new constructions.

            Tifft noted at the time that a Town Meeting vote to pass a bylaw would require a two-thirds majority.

            Limiting the historic district’s review to additions, demolitions and new constructions would boost yes-vote responses to nearly 52% with another 22.41% wanting to know more.

            In the 10-plus months since that informational meeting, the committee has been working behind the scenes, using survey feedback while researching other such efforts in the region with the goal of coming up with a draft bylaw that it hopes will reflect the will of the survey participants.

            Committee member Margie Baldwin asked on Monday at what point the committee should seek Town Counsel to weigh in before taking its informational pamphlet to the Planning Board or Select Board. Tifft noted that the draft bylaw will also be reviewed by the Massachusetts Historical Society (in an advisory capacity).

            “Just looking at how slow this process has been … we should keep trying to move forward,” he said.

            In response to Baldwin’s concern over confusion among residents, Steinberg said she has written an article explaining different entities such as the Marion Historical Commission and the Sippican Historical Society but will revise her article to include material on the Historic District Study Committee.

            Dray’s latest changes are meant to go before the Planning Board in November.

            The committee has an informational pamphlet that will feature the theme, “Educate, celebrate, preserve” and identify Marion village as “a history worth preserving.”

            The committee discussed logistical matters of the pamphlet’s presentation.

            The next meeting of the Marion Historic District Study Committee is scheduled for Monday, August 19, at 4:30 pm.

Marion Historic District Study Committee

By Mick Colageo

A True Wanderer Takes One Along for The Ride

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            Ray Rose has only been traveling for 10 years, so it is only natural that he would visit Europe and forget. It was only natural that he would tour Machu Picchu and forget.

            “There were many times that, dammit, I meant to do it, but I keep forgetting,” admitted Rose.

            Then there was the time that Ray Rose didn’t forget to take a copy of The Wanderer in his travels.

            “I grabbed this one and threw it in my suitcase,” he said, choosing the January 9, 2020, issue featuring Kanaly brothers William and Henry while holding up September 19, 2019, and October 10, 2019, issues of The Wanderer during their Fall 2019 visit to the Eiffel Tower.

            In that manner, the Kanaly kids accompanied Rose everywhere he went. It’s a long list of destinations that for him were only stopovers, part of a bigger picture.

            “I wonder if there’s ever been a Wanderer that circumnavigated the globe,” muses Rose, who would become the closest thing to an answer to his own question during trips he made from January to March 2020.

            One trip he made with a longtime companion, the other with his daughter Amy. Both were broken plays, improvisations of situations meant to be far more limited in scope.

            A 50-year resident of Mattapoisett, Rose grew up in the South End of New Bedford and attended the public high school (Class of 1969).

            “It was kind of a dream,” said Rose. “As a kid, I use to love reading about places all over the world. There are places you go that are not going to be quite what you expect. Egypt just blew me away.”

            Rose was on a jaunt to South America with intentions of visiting friends in Peru until being advised amidst political unrest to stay back in Argentina. It so happened the Argentine national soccer team was battling France in the World Cup, so Rose was able to bathe in what amounted to a huge party in Buenos Aires when the locals emerged victorious by penalty kicks.

            Extending his trip southward instead, Rose wound up in Ushuaia, Argentina, the world’s southern-most city. There, he boarded a boat for Antarctica.

            The two-week trip aboard Ortellis ran through very rough seas until approaching the Antarctic Peninsula where the seas calm down. It took two days to get there, but upon his arrival the silence was deafening.

            “There were no sounds except for natural sounds, rumblings, maybe an avalanche, a penguin or a bird,” he said.

            Rose was surprised by the coastal environment. “The temperatures were not that bad. If the sun was out, you are shedding clothing,” he said, noting the warm reflection of the sun off the white snow. “Camping in Antarctica is a unique experience.”

            The Wanderer went with him.

            The same, tattered copy of the local newspaper accompanied him on a separate trip that took a western path so far it ended in the East.

            Having left Boston on January 14, 2020, Rose began by visiting a friend in Seattle, then a stepsister in Hawaii. He was in Raratonga (Cook Islands) when he realized the opportunity at hand.

            “It was spur of the moment,” he said. “If I’m going to Australia and New Zealand, I’m going halfway around the planet, so it doesn’t make sense to go back the same way.”

            Australia and New Zealand require that visitors apply for an online visa stating arrival and departure dates, so only that much was certain.

            “Once I went to Australia, it was like, ‘where do I go next?’”

            Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, then Nepal, where he visited with Rajesh Shahi, the Nepalese man who had spent time in Mattapoisett as a child.

            The Wanderer would eventually make it to King Tut’s tomb, but the more important encounters were with natives of foreign countries and creeds that embraced Rose in his visits. His adventures included a ride in a hot-air balloon, a dive into crystal-clear waters, visits to temples of Luxor and Carnac, encountering children in poverty and the confusion of Kathmandu’s countlessly tangled streets and wires.

            Rose would reach Egypt as part of a tour, visiting Cairo and Luxor before the COVID-19 pandemic canceled his plan to fly back from Jordan. Instead, he was sent back to Cairo to catch a flight at three times the price to New York and finally, Boston.

            Broken plays, extra expenses and all, Rose wouldn’t trade the experience.

            “It was incredible,” he said.

By Mick Colageo

Town Administrator Search Reaches Final Stage

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            Rochester’s Select Board started its meeting Monday by accepting a $602,226.33 check from the Plymouth County commissioners.

            County Commission Chair Jared Valanzola and Commissioner Sandra M. Wright presented the Select Board with the oversize facsimile of the check that the town was recently awarded in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds as administered by the county. Valanzola noted that the check, the real version that Interim Town Administrator Suzanne Szyndlar recently received, represents the total of two funding requests that Rochester has earned: $218,000 for revenue replacement and $384,800 for a new ambulance.

            Wright thanked the Town Hall staff that helped reward the application for the funds. Valanzola asked the board to send further CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act funding allocation requests by September 30. “We don’t want to return a penny of it back to Washington, D.C.,” he said.

            Select Board member Adam Murphy said more money might be needed because the town is in the final stages of hiring a new town administrator who might have other funding ideas. “When that person is hired, we’d like you to come back to (have the new town administrator) be introduced to you,” Murphy said.

            In related news, Szyndlar reported that the Town Administrator Search Committee has finished interviewing all the applicants for the position and has picked three finalists that it would like the Select Board to interview soon as the next step. Szyndlar said the process will be the same as with the Police Chief search: interviews with the three in one open session with predetermined questions. She said she would like to set up these interviews sometime next week.

            Szyndlar also reported more good news regarding funding awards. She said the town will be receiving $190,108 in payouts from Fair Share, the state taxation program that levies a 4% surcharge on income over $1,000,000. “This money will be available for immediate use,” she added.

            In other action, the Select Board approved the Zoning Board of Appeals’ request to advance associate member Jeffrey Costa to full member for a term to expire on April 30, 2029.

            Town Planner Nancy Durfee reported the town’s Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 is close to being finalized. She said it is an update of the regional Hazard Mitigation Plan that was completed in 2004. She noted this is an important update because it helps the town plan and receive funding for projects that reduce the risk of injury or damage to property from natural-hazard events such as flooding, winter storms and hurricanes.

            Durfee said first the state will review the town’s new plan, then the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will need to approve it. Then the plan will come back to the Select Board for its approval around November. After that finalization, she said, the plan will need to be updated every five years.

            The Select Board approved the warrant for the 2024 State Primary election, which will be held on Tuesday, September 3, from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm at the Council on Aging Senior Center.

            The board again continued its hearings into plans for a new Eversource utility pole and manhole cover on Rounseville Road to Monday, September 9, at 6:05 pm at the Council on Aging Senior Center.

            The board approved the early closure of town buildings on Friday, September 6, at 11:00 am for the town’s annual Employee Appreciation Luncheon, which will be held at the Highway Barn.

            The next Rochester Select Board meeting will be held on Monday, August 19, at 6:00 pm at the Rochester Council on Aging Senior Center, 67 Dexter Lane.

Rochester Select Board

By Michael J. DeCicco

From the Files of the Rochester Historical Society

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            With some of these articles, I like to put a picture that makes people puzzle over why it’s there. This is one of those pictures. Putting together our current exhibit on how we’ve entertained ourselves for over 300 years led me to thinking about the places where some of those entertainments took place.

            Drive-ins and movie theaters top the list of places that have gone from common place to harder to find. Beginning in the 20’s, many towns had movie theaters. Great Grandma Hartley liked to go to a theater in Marion. There were theaters in Wareham, Fairhaven and Buzzard’s Bay. New Bedford had many that were beautiful shrines to the movies and Rochester had a Drive-in.

            Another place for fun was the roller skating rink. Rochester had one in a building at Mary’s Pond. The Village Barn on Main St. in Acushnet had an upstairs roller rink that took special skill to navigate. Growing up in Weymouth, it sometimes seemed like there was one on every corner. In later years, some were replaced by tennis clubs.

            Then, there were bowling alleys. East Over Farm had a private bowling alley which was occasionally opened to Rochester residents. Fairhaven had the Atlantic Bowling Alley at the corner of Rte. 6 and Sconticut Neck Rd. where there is a shopping mall today. Buzzards Bay had one for many years after others had closed, and today there is a games center there.  I believe there is a long-lived bowling alley on Hathaway Rd. in New Bedford.

            Now to the picture. Maybe you’ve figured it out that it’s a picture of where the bowling alley in Mattapoisett used to be, right alongside the Cathay Temple which is now Ying’s. My grandmother bowled there with the Seniors, and now it’s a vacant lot.

            I’ve mentioned tennis clubs of which there used to be many more than today and even the number of courts are shrinking or repurposed for pickleball.

            I’m sure there are many more places that you can think of that I have missed, and I hope you’ll share them.

By Connie Eshbach

ORR Students Present at Influencers Conference

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The Old Rochester Regional School District and Massachusetts Superintendency Union #55 is proud to announce that Superintendent Michael S. Nelson, Dr. Shari Fedorowicz, Lauren Millette, and two students, Molly Wronski and Jaymeson Gunschel, presented at the 30th Annual Paul J. Andrews Executive Institute hosted by the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents (M.A.S.S.) this month.

            Their presentation, titled “Building a Culture of Influencers – Embracing Student Leadership and Voice as Catalysts of Change,” highlighted the district’s commitment to fostering student leadership and its positive impact on school culture.

            “Our students have worked tirelessly to create an environment where student voices are heard and valued,” said Nelson. “Presenting at the M.A.S.S. conference was a fantastic opportunity to share our successes and inspire other districts to embrace student leadership as a driving force for positive change. We look forward to continuing this work in our schools during the upcoming school year.”

            Dr. Shari Fedorowicz added, “It was a privilege to present at M.A.S.S. with dedicated administrators and our remarkable students, Molly Wronski and Jaymeson Gunschel. Our work with Project 351 and the Boston Celtics Playbook Initiative has been a framework for building and empowering student leaders as change agents which are tailored toward the needs of our district.”

            Lauren Millette reflected on the experience, saying, “It was an honor to present alongside Superintendent Nelson, Dr. Fedorowicz, and our amazing students, Molly Wronski and Jaymeson Gunschel. Empowering students to become leaders and influencers as school change agents and having strong administrative support is key to building the best learning environments.

            “Project 351 and the Boston Celtics Playbook Initiative have served as catalysts for developing our young leaders into upstanders and bridge builders. I am thankful that we were able to share how we implemented the Playbook Initiative into our district with other educators and stakeholders across Massachusetts at the Institute so that they may do the same.”

            The Celtics Playbook Initiative, in partnership with Project 351, is led by students across the Commonwealth, as Playbook Trainers. These trainers, who receive in-depth training and coaching from Celtics and Project 351 staff, facilitate interactive workshops and serve as champions of change, modeling inclusion and sharing tools to intervene in challenging social situations. The initiative has been widely adopted by school districts across Massachusetts.

            Wronski, who will be a junior in the fall, and Gunschel, who graduated in June, shared their experiences and the significant role student leadership has played in their education. Molly also participated in another panel event at the conference where students from across the Commonwealth discussed the impact of Project 351 in their schools, sharing meaningful moments and stories about how the initiative has shifted culture through student leadership and voice.

            For more information about the Playbook Initiative and Project 351, please visit nba.com/celtics/community/playbook.

Robert (Bob) McGowan

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Robert (Bob) McGowan of Venice, FL passed away on June 15, 2024 of Parkinson’s disease.

            He leaves behind his wife, Sandy, and his daughters Melissa Kang, Heather McGowan and Kelly Ochoa. He was  the father of the late Jonathan McGowan.

            Bob was born in New Bedford, MA on November 15, 1943 to Charles and Anna McGowan.

            He spent his summers in Mattapoisett at Pico Beach.

            There will be a Celebration of Life for Bob on August 30, 2024 at the Mattapoisett Congregational Church at 1 pm and a reception following at the Reservation Golf Course.

            Burial will be private.

Christine L. Gaumont

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Christine L. Gaumont, 71, of Acushnet passed away peacefully Sunday, June 23, 2024, at home after a lengthy illness. She was born in New Bedford, daughter of the late Roland and Claire (Saucier) Gaumont, and the life partner of the late Elaine Beausoleil.

            Christine was a Veterinarian DVM and proprietor of Acushnet Animal Hospital for many years. She raised German Shepherds and loved all of her many dogs. Christine is survived by her brother Raymond Gaumont of Florida and his wife Karen. Her Godson, and first cousin, Mark D. Saucier, and his wife Jennifer of Acushnet. Also, close friends Tammy and Lyle Isherwood of Acushnet. Also, several other cousins and friends.

            She graduated from Old Rochester Regional High School and from the University of Illinois with her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), she was also a financial supporter of the college. she was the sole proprietor of the Acushnet Animal Hospital for over 38 years. Her true passion however was breeding, raising and training German Shepherds. Some of her brilliant dogs went on to become police dogs over the years. Chris was also a member of the Schutzhund Club of America for over 30 years, and has won many medals, trophies, and awards with her dogs over the years in animal sporting. In 1993, she won bronze at the regional trials, and in 2000 won gold. She also won Universal Sieger with her beloved shepherd Quick. Over the years of competing and training within the sport she made many good friends, and was highly respected for her passion, love, and dedication, of the sport.

            Chris was also loyal to the town of Acushnet and volunteered annually to hold an annual rabies clinic. She was a known staple in the community and was always willing to help any sick or injured animal. She will be missed greatly by her family, friends, and clients from the Acushnet Animal Hospital.

            Christine’s Mass of Christian Burial will be held Tuesday August 13, 2024, at 10am at St. Francis Xavier Church Main North Street, Acushnet, with a private burial to follow. Arrangements are by the Fairhaven Funeral Home, 117 Main Street, Fairhaven.