Morgan Browning of Mattapoisett was recently initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society. Browning was initiated at University of Florida.
Wellspring Farm Compliance Moves Forward
As 2017 moves towards its conclusion, so too do the variety of regulatory compliance issues faced by Wellspring Farm, located at 42 Hiller Road.
Conservation Agent Laurell Farinon detailed for the Rochester Conservation Commissioners on November 7 the remaining to-do list before the experiential health care business will be in full compliance with both the Planning Board and the Conservation Commission.
Saying, due to the “number of eyes on the application,” Farinon assured those in attendance, “A lot goes on behind the scene” before a public hearing and then proceeded to explain.
The Wellspring Farm Notice of Intent filing for upgrades to an existing driveway and maintenance activities prompted questions from Farinon to applicant representatives Environmental Engineer Brad Holmes and Greg Hebert of Webby Engineering. Farinon sought clarification on anticipated stormwater recharge into abutting wetlands and adherence with regulations governing stormwater.
Holmes and Hebert confirmed that due to the inclusion of a 40-foot wide impervious apron mandated by the Planning Board, additional stormwater calculations found it difficult to be in full regulatory compliance. However, Hebert said that the statute did allow for adherence within practicable parameters for existing driveways.
Holmes said upgrades to the driveway, which was originally permitted by the Town in 1983 and subsequently received a Certificate of Compliance, would include grassy drainage swales and check dams that would allow the water to be sufficiently processed before reaching wetlands.
The engineering team presented the commission that night with reports relating to the drainage calculations, and the late entry made it necessary to continue the hearing to give the commission and Farinon adequate time to review the documents.
Also discussed was the remediation of areas that required extensive clean up of a manure pile that were described by Hebert as “…now working well as a bordering vegetated area with a wetlands meadow.” The hearing was continued until November 21.
Earlier in the evening, Warren Benner of 20 Benner Lane received a Negative Determination for a Request for Determination of Applicability for the installation of a gas line within a 100-foot buffer zone.
Also receiving a Negative Determination for a RDA filing were Rochester Firefighters Association for improvements to the Firefighters’ Memorial located at 0 Hartley Road and Massachusetts Department of Transportation District 5 for tree trimming along Interstate 495.
A request for a three-year permit extension for Timothy Higgins of Edgewood Development for property located on High Street and Ryder Road for a 115-lot subdivision was granted. Higgins said that presently there are 58 occupied homes in the development with another nine lots under agreement. Farinon commented that the developer had made “great strides on the replication area,” and that the area was well stabilized.
A NOI filing by Decas Cranberry Inc. for property located on Walnut Plain Road for the construction of a single-family home was continued until November 21 pending a response from the Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program.
A Certificate of Compliance was issued to Colonial Gas Company for a 1998 filing for the installation of a gas line along the shoulder of Route 58 at the Route 28 intersection.
The next meeting of the Rochester Conservation Commission is scheduled for November 21 at 7:00 pm in the Rochester Town Hall conference room.
Rochester Conservation Commission
By Marilou Newell
“Berry” Special Storytime
Get ready for the fall season with a “Berry” Special Storytime at the Mattapoisett Free Public Library featuring Thanksgiving dinner’s favorite: the cranberry! On Thursday, November 16 at 10:30 am, preschoolers and their families are invited to join Dr. John Porter to learn fun facts about cranberries, hear the story of Clarence, the Berry Who Couldn’t Bounce, and make their own “Bog in a Cup” to take home – free – all materials provided. Please register by stopping by or calling the library at 508-758-4171.
Scouting for Food until Veterans Day
Marion Cub Scout Pack 32 and Boy Scout Troop 32 with the generous support of the Marion Police Department are once again collecting food for community members in need. Neighbors with a scout in their vicinity were left a door hanger at your home on Saturday, November 4 and a scout will return to pick-up donations on Saturday, November 11. All you have to do is leave a bag at your door and the Scouts will deliver it to the Food Bank. For those community members around town who would like to support this effort but do not have a scout living nearby, the scouts will be collecting donations at the Marion Police Department from now until 11:00 am on November 11 and at the Veterans Day ceremony where the scouts will have a truck to place donations. After the Veterans Day Ceremony, scouts will collect all donations from the police station and bring all donations to a local food bank.
As Scouts, we know how fortunate we are to have a warm meal every night – whether around the campfire or at the kitchen table. And we know that not everyone is so lucky. Please help our scouts do their good turn daily by providing healthy non-perishable food for those in need. Dietitians suggest donating a variety of nutritious items, such as cans of chili, soups, tuna, pasta sauce, peanut butter, evaporated milk, fruit and vegetables. This gives hungry families more of what they need. Please no glass items, no open containers, and no frozen items.
Please contact us at marioncubscouts@gmail.com with any questions or to join scouting.
Joseph M. Rocha, Jr.
Joseph M. Rocha, Jr., 50, of Acushnet passed away after a long illness on November 4, 2017.
Born in Mattapoisett, he was the son of Nancy Silveira Rocha and the late Joseph M. Rocha Sr.
Joey graduated from Old Rochester Regional High School in 1985 and from Gettysburg College, Pennsylvania, in 1989. Upon graduating he entered the marketing field where he served as Warehouse Manager for several firms until resigning due to illness. He was well known for his outgoing personality and generosity. He loved his family, animals, history and cooking.
Survivors include his beloved mother; two sisters, Lisa Fuller and her husband John and Missy Farias and her husband Paul; several nieces and a nephew including Godchild, Jessica Fuller, Katrina Bissonnette and her husband Scott, Ryan Farias, Bridget Farias and great-niece, Aibhlin. He is also survived by his Godmother Shirley Bernier and her husband John, and several cousins.
His Visiting hours will be held on Thursday from 6-8 pm in the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Route 6, Mattapoisett. There will be no services held for Joseph on Friday. His Funeral Service will be held on Saturday at 10 am in the funeral home. Burial will follow in St. John’s Cemetery. In lieu of flowers please consider making a donation, in Joseph’s name, to Shepherd’s Pantry, 1215 Main Street, Acushnet, MA, 02743. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.
Spooky Stuff at ORR
The students of Old Rochester Regional High School were getting into the spooky Halloween spirit this past week as several activities themed around the holiday took place.
The American Field Service club held their annual pumpkin carving contest during their Tuesday session. Over 30 students crowded the art classroom to carve their various sized pumpkins, the smallest around the size of a clementine and the largest bigger than a basketball.
“We got to carve out pumpkins and listen to some fun, spooky music,” senior Hannah Powers said. “Everybody just had a good time and also got to laugh and enjoy each other’s attempts at designs.”
Creativity was rampant through the designs produced by the club members. For instance, one of the larger jack-o’-lanterns had its sharp teeth chomping down on a smaller squash, and one pumpkin appeared hypnotized.
Students had a chance to view the pumpkins in the main lobby during their English classes and voted to award prizes in four categories: cutest, scariest, most creative, and best traditional style jack-o’-lantern.
In the World Languages Department, students enrolled in the Spanish 3 classes created their own Day of the Dead altars in an interactive project to better learn about Mexican culture. After choosing a famous figure – dead or alive – they constructed dioramas to represent the gravestone and altar.
As with real Dia de los Muertos altars, students were required to include their person’s favorite food, skull decorations, and a candle (albeit these were battery-operated candles). The completed altars were lined up on the shelves in the school library to display to the rest of the student body.
“I did my altar on Michael Jackson,” said senior Maddie Scheub, adding that the design had a picture of the singer and sparkles to represent his iconic fashion.
Some other examples were of Walt Disney, Will Ferrell, and a Justin Beiber altar complete with a curtain of lights.
The Spanish classes further delved into Day of the Dead festivities by crafting sugar skulls during the actual holiday. The small traditional decorations were formed out of molds and students had the opportunity to shape and decorate their own sugar skulls.
By Jo Caynon
Rochester Historical Society Annual Meeting
The Rochester Historical Society will host their annual Pot Luck Supper on Wednesday, November 15 at the Museum, 355 County Road at 6:00 pm (note the time change for this month). Please call Connie at 509-763-4932 with your reservation and what you plan to bring. Members and non-members are welcome. Come early and visit the Farming Display if you have not seen it. Please bring an item for a silent auction to follow the supper.
Author Reading
The Mattapoisett Free Public Library and the Mattapoisett Historical Society will host an author reading and book signing with Mattapoisett native Darcy Lee on Saturday, November 18 at 2:00 pm at the library (7 Barstow Street, Mattapoisett). Darcy Lee’s new book is entitled Ghosts of Plymouth, Massachusetts. As a child, Ms. Lee developed what became a lifelong curiosity about the paranormal and made it her hobby to collect ghost-story books on her travels throughout the world. Plymouth is known worldwide as America’s Hometown, landing place of the Pilgrims in 1620, and home of the first Thanksgiving. But the real story of the town is a tale of grim beginnings, plague, desperation, massacre, murder and fear. A ghostly Victorian couple is known to wander Burial Hill. Author Darcy H. Lee exposes the haunting acts that lie beneath Plymouth’s cherished history. For more information, contact info@mattapoisetthistoricalsociety.org or mfpl@sailsinc.org.
Geraldine A. (Corcoran) Lanagan
Geraldine A. (Corcoran) Lanagan, 80, of Mattapoisett died November 5, 2017 peacefully at Charlton Memorial Hospital surrounded by her family.
She was the wife of James B. Lanagan, Jr.
Born in Malden, MA, the daughter of the late Elizabeth F. (Healy) Faria and her husband Alfred Faria and Gerald F. Corcoran, she lived in Mattapoisett most of her life.
Survivors include her husband; 5 sons, Thomas M. Lanagan and his companion Valerie Ryan, James B. Lanagan, III and his wife Suzanne, Timothy J. Lanagan and his wife Cheryl, Gerald F. Lanagan and his wife Christal, all of Mattapoisett and Matthew J. Lanagan and his wife Melissa of Hanover; 2 daughters, Catherine “Kate” MacGregor and her husband Daniel of Rochester and Elizabeth A. Adams and her husband Scott of Mattapoisett; a sister, Nancy Lambalot of Mattapoisett; 22 grandchildren, Thomas Lanagan, Jr., Alyson Herrick and her husband Tyler, Ryan Lanagan, Christine Neville and her husband Stephan, Kayla Lanagan, James B. Lanagan, IV, Connor MacGregor, Mariah MacGregor, Martha MacGregor, Gerald Lanagan, Jr., Molly Lanagan, Chloe Lanagan, Olivia Lanagan, Makenzie Lanagan, Matthew Lanagan, Lucas Lanagan, Thao Lanagan, Abigail Adams, Jeremiah Adams, Margaret Adams, Sarah Adams and Teresa Adams; 2 great-grandchildren, Tyler Herrick and Hazel Herrick; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Gerry was the sister of the late Leonard Corcoran and Elizabeth Cadieux.
She was formerly employed as a Registered Nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital, St. Luke’s Hospital, Morton Hospital and the Mattapoisett Nursing Home.
Gerry enjoyed playing bridge and tennis. She was a witty, kind and loving person. She was active in Cursillo Ministry, serving on ‘team’, and Prison Ministry. Mostly, “Nama” also enjoyed attending her children’s and grand-children’s sporting events and other activities.
Gerry was a communicant of St. Anthony’s Church.
Her visiting hours will be held on Friday, November 10th from 2-8 PM in the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Route 6, Mattapoisett. Her Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, November 11th at 9 AM in St. Anthony’s Church in Mattapoisett. The family has asked that the public go directly to church on Saturday morning. Burial will follow in St. Anthony’s Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the John F. O’Brien Scholarship, Bishop Stang High School, 500 Slocum Rd., Dartmouth, MA 02747. For directions and guestbook. please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.
Mary Alice “Mae” (Maccini) Bjerre
Mary Alice “Mae” (Maccini) Bjerre, 73, of Mattapoisett passed away November 4, 2017 at St. Luke’s Hospital after a courageous battle with cancer. She was the loving and devoted wife of Donald Soren Bjerre.
Born and raised in Wellesley, MA, she was the daughter of the late Victor Henry Maccini and Alice Angelina (Montali) Maccini. She lived in Nashua, NH before making Mattapoisett her home since 1973. She was a dedicated employee of Dr. Joseph A. Costa for over 35 years and loved being a part of her office family.
Mae had a gift of kindness that was recognized by all who knew her. Her thoughtfulness and unconditional love for family and friends will be remembered, cherished and dearly missed.
Mae is survived by her husband Donald; her daughter, Krista-Lee (Bjerre) Nye of Mattapoisett; her son, Erik Soren Bjerre and his wife Sonia (Mello) Bjerre of Fall River; her beloved grandchildren, Claire Elizabeth Bjerre and James Soren Bjerre; two brothers, Michael A. Maccini of New York City and Richard J. Maccini and his wife Dianne of Gastonia, NC; her sister-in-law, Ruth Marie Bjerre of St. Johnsbury, VT, as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins and treasured friends.
Her visiting hours will be held on Monday, November 13th from 4-8 PM in the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Road, Route 6, Mattapoisett. Interment will take place on Tuesday, November 14th at 11:30 AM at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to Southcoast Health Centers for Cancer Care, 206 Mill Road, Fairhaven, MA, 02719. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.
