Young People’s Concert

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The Marion Concert Band continues its Friday evening concert series with a Young People’s Concert on Friday, July 21. The program, which will include a storyteller and the opportunity for children in the audience to “guest conduct” the band, is as follows:

Children’s March – E. F. Goldman

Looney Tunes Overture – B. Holcombe

A Disney Spectacular – arr. J. Moss

The Pals (cornet duet) – G. Barnard

Mary St. Laurent-Sheehan & Zachary Roberts, trumpet

Pixar Movie Magic – arr. M. Brown

The Waltzing Cat – L. Anderson

Journey to the Lion’s Castle – R. Galante

The Thunderer – J. P. Sousa

The Candy Man (from Willie Wonka) – A. Newley

The Wizard of Oz Fantasy – H. Arlen

Walt Disney Overture – J. Christensen

Shrek Dance Party – arr. P. Murtha

Mary St. Laurent-Sheehan is an alumnus of the Greater Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra (1992) and is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps where she performed with the Parris Island Marine Band. Zachary Roberts, trumpet, is a graduate of Rhode Island College, holding a bachelors degree in music education. He performs regularly with the St. Cecilia Band of Fall River in the pit orchestras of local theater companies. He has been a member of the Marion Concert Band since 2015.

The concert, under the direction of Tobias Monte, will begin at 7:00 pm 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.

Tri-Town Profile

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Name: Pat McGonigle

Age: 46

Currently lives in: Kansas City

How he got here: Lived in Mattapoisett from 1971-94

Favorite Tri-Town place: Crescent Beach and Oxford Creamery

What he’d change if he were the President of Tri-Town: “When I was a kid, really little, the parking lot that has the funeral home and police station, there used to be a circus there. I’d bring the circus back to Mattapoisett.”

Ever seen a celeb locally? “Sam Waterston … Well, I never actually saw him, but I loved hearing the accounts of people who did. It’s almost like he’s this mythical figure.”

 

By Jonathan Comey

            Pat McGonigle is going places. Literally.

He’s driving from St. Louis to Kansas City, ready to start his new job as the night news anchor for WDAF TV, but he’s more interested in talking about his hometown.

“I only really get a chance to come home about a week a year, and it’s almost painful, to be honest,” said McGonigle during a phone interview last weekend. He grew up with his four siblings in Mattapoisett, the son of Dr. John McGonigle, a dermatologist that everyone in town knew. “I come back with my family now, and you realize how spoiled we were growing up as kids. We were in a rowboat, rowing around the harbor, and my sixteen-year-old was like, ‘This must have been an amazing place to grow up.’”

McGonigle’s dad was known in town for his little practice in the village near Center School. He was a popular figure for his wonderful bedside manner, but not for his driving skills, so it was inevitable every couple of years or so that the family vehicle would wind up getting pulled over by the Mattapoisett police.

“Every time he’d get pulled over, they’d come up to the window,” he said, “and it’d be ‘Oh, Dr. McGonigle! You’re all set, have a good day.’ We used to joke, where do we get the Dr. McGonigle license?”

Dr. McGonigle passed away in 2010, and mother Margaret died last summer, but Pat says he will never lose touch with his local roots, which have been transplanted many times as he’s pursued a long, winding career as a TV news personality.

He got his start on the public access airwaves of “Bay 8,” hosting a sports trivia call-in show while still in high school.

“I so vividly recall the feeling of going on Bay 8, being on live TV, taking phone calls,” he said. “It was a rush! I’d be lying if I said I knew then, ‘Oh, this is what I want to do.’ But it was definitely my first taste of it.”

After graduating from the University of St. Louis, he decided to pursue a career as a broadcaster, which took him all over America – from Maine, to Omaha, to Grand Rapids, to Rochester, New York. Then onto a breakthrough job in St. Louis as a popular morning anchor, and now to his new challenge as the night news lead in Kansas City.

With his wife, changing cities comes with the headaches you’d expect, especially with juggling the responsibility of five daughters (and dog Harvey).

But it’s the adjustment on air to a new market that might be most challenging.

“Everyone hates the new guy,” says McGonigle, whose affable manner would seem to render him pretty much unhateable. “It’s just a fact. No one likes the new guy. ‘Hey, who’s this guy? I miss the old guy.’”

“My theory is just keep your head down, don’t do anything flashy, just work hard,” he says. “I think I’d describe myself as hard-working and willing to make myself the punch line. That’s something that’s a real easy trick. If you make yourself the punch line, let people know you’re not above it all, people like that, it endears you to people.”

McGonigle feels like he’s got a pretty sweet gig – he’s famous, “but not famous where people want to spend the day with you or stalk you,” and likes being able to interact with people both on TV and in the field.

“When I was young, I met (Boston TV legend) Bob Neumeier, and he made sure I had a cool experience. He talked to me just like a regular person, and I never forgot that. It’s a little gift you can give.”

He’s looking forward to making new connections in Kansas City, and says while his girls were upset when they learned they’d be moving (again), they are excited about the chance to reinvent themselves and make new friends.

But they’ve all expressed some envy of their dad’s idyllic upbringing.

“We were watching Stand By Me, and the girls were like, ‘Is this what life was like for you when you were little?’ And you know, that’s the 1950s! But they picture Mattapoisett as this perfect fantasyland.”

“I guess in a way, it was.”

Rochester Council on Aging

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The Rochester Council on Aging is hosting two trips this week. Be a part of the Free Fun Friday on July 21 for a trip to Hancock Shaker Village in the Berkshires from 6:30 am – 5:00 pm with lunch available nearby. On Sunday, July 23, attend a Paw Sox baseball game in Pawtucket, RI from 10:30 am – 6:00 pm. Cost to attend is $15 with lunch on site. Please call the Rochester Council on Aging at 508-763-8723 for more information and to reserve your seat on the van.

Taste of the Town

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Dear Editor:

The Mattapoisett Women’s Club sends out a warm thank you to everyone who contributed to make “Taste of the Town” a stunning success: the inspiring and exciting Showstoppers and the amazing crowd who supported us. We salute our superb vendors for their participation and goodwill: The Mattapoisett Diner, How on Earth, Ying Dynasty, Turks, Nick’s Pizza, The Inn on Shipyard Park, Oxford Creamery, Uncle Jon’s, Shipyard Galley, Tastebuds Bistro & Catering, Seaport Ice Cream Slip, On the Go, and the Courtyard Restaurant. A special note of appreciation goes out to the Lions Club, the Mattapoisett Highway Department, Chase Canopy, Village Signs, Cathy West, Chuck McCullough & Family and the Mattapoisett COA. And to all Club members, who gave willingly of their time and their incredible talent making the “Taste of the Town” an extraordinary event and to their families for being so understanding, we truly appreciate you.

With deep gratitude,

Lois Ennis, Chair Taste of the Town

 

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.

Harbor Days Bigger, Better than Ever

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If you were at Harbor Days at Shipyard Park this weekend, you probably noticed something – there were a lot of people there. Probably more than ever, according to outgoing president of the Mattapoisett Lions Club Kim Ray.

“It was fantastic,” said Ray. “I mean, the crowd! It seemed like we had record crowds.”

With the fantastic weather and the quality of vendors this year, it is no wonder that so many turned out for the annual Mattapoisett seaside event.

The Lions and some vendors even ran out of certain items that they never ran out of before, said Ray, and the event was able to raise a lot of money for the Lions Club.

“Harbor Days is our biggest fundraiser of the year,” Ray said, which provides funding to local residents in need and also funds two scholarships for two local high school students each year.

During Sunday morning’s pancake breakfast, “The lines were snaked across the park,” said Ray. “We actually sold over 600 pancake breakfasts, which was a huge amount. It was just incredible! We couldn’t believe it.”

Volunteers from other area Lions Clubs helped out, including the president of the Fairhaven Lions Bill Moniz, and his wife Diane, who sold tickets at the festival.

“We had a lot of support,” said Ray. “And we had a lot of help with serving those breakfasts. A lot of guys on the grill.”

Harbor Days. It’s a year-long, many-months-of-work project, and this year it was led by Ray, who days ago passed the torch onto the new president, Amy Mello, who will oversee next year’s Harbor Days and all the planning leading it up it.

“It was a huge undertaking, but it’s always a great event,” said Ray.

Ray had words of kindness and thanks for the Mattapoisett Council on Aging for providing the shuttle service between the bowling alley parking lot and Shipyard Park, as well as for the police and fire.

Ray also extended a word of gratitude to Lindsey Merolla and Elise Parker, two ORR students who spent the weekend at Shipyard Park doing henna painting.

“They donated all their proceeds to the Lions Club because they wanted to help support a local organization,” said Ray. “They had lines all the time, so that was a great new little event.”

With local pageant winners, entertainment by the Showstoppers, rows and rows of vendors peddling arts and crafts, and all the food, “We had a lot going on at that park,” said Ray.

The Wanderer congratulates the Mattapoisett Lions Club for a successful Harbor Days and wishes Amy Mello all the best as she prepares for next year’s event!

By Jean Perry

Dorothy E. (Lendh) Holland

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Dorothy E. (Lendh) Holland 97, of Brockton, wife of nearly 60 years to the late Vincent G. Holland died peacefully at home surrounded by her family on Friday July 7, 2017. Mrs. Holland was born in Whitman, MA to the late Harold R. and Eva (Clark) Lendh. She attended Whitman grade schools and went on to graduate Brockton HS in 1938. Prior to her marriage, she was an Office Manager and Bookeeper for Jones and Vining, Inc. and later worked part time for Diegoli Plumbing Co and Richard E. Davock Co. During WWII she served as a Nurse’s Aide in local and Army Hospitals.

Dorothy had many interests and passions throughout the years which included; many area craft shows; being a past co-owner of the Crafty Cricket Co-op and Cottage Crafts; past member and Secretary of the Artisans of Plymouth County and traveling the United States attending many Elderhostel programs. She had enjoyed working with young girls as a Girl Scout Leader; was a Past President of the P.M. Club and past member of the Women’s Club of Brockton. Dorothy was the oldest and active member of Christ Congregational Church in Brockton serving as a Deacon as well as many other capacities. She had been very involved with the Adult programs, including Young at Heart, Women’s Spirituality, the Common Threads Quilt group, the EnAmi and due to her love of reading was Past President of the Reading Group. Above all she cherished time spent with family and friends.

Dorothy is survived by her daughter Barbara Moody and her husband Paul of Marion, her daughter Linda Holland Simpson and her husband Danny of High Point, NC, her grandson Christopher Simpson and his wife April of Greensboro, NC, her sister Elva Rayment of W. Yarmouth as well as many cousins. She was also the sister of the late H. Robert Lendh.

A funeral service was held in the Christ Congregational Church Brockton July 17. Burial will follow in Melrose Cemetery. In memory of Dorothy please consider memorial donations to the Lendh/Holland Scholarship Fund c/o Christ Congregational Church 1350 Pleasant Street, Brockton, MA 02301.

Rochester Country Fair Auction Fundraiser

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Donated items for Live Auction wanted to benefit the Rochester Country Fair. Did you finish your spring-cleaning in time for summer? The Fair Committee is currently looking for donated items to be auctioned at the Rochester Country Fair. We hope to have approximately 100 items to auction off, so your help in reaching this goal is greatly appreciated!

This Good Old Country Auction Fundraiser will take place at the Rochester Country Fair on Sunday, August 20 at 1:00 pm under the big tent provided by Chase Canopy Company. You name it and we can sell it!

Antiques, Farm Implements, Livestock, Home Goods, Pies, Furniture, Tools, Automotive Parts & Accessories, Unique one-of-a-kind items and Odds & Ends.

Contact us via email at RochesterCountryFair@comcast.net, call Mike at 774-263-1146, or message us on Facebook if you would like to donate and help us reach our goal.

Additional Fair information can be obtained on our website www.rochesterma.com.

July Programs at Plumb Library

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Children ages 1+, teens, and adults are invited to “Build a Better World” by participating in this year’s Summer Library Program. Register before July 15 at www.plumblibrary.com. Check the library’s Events Calendar for information on the full range of activities for all ages.

Thanks to the Rochester Lions Club, Mad Science is back for science fun on Wednesdays, July 19 and 26, from 4:50 – 5:30 pm. Children ages 5-12 can learn about Mighty Machines or Black and Blue Oceans. Visit the Plumb Library Events Calendar to register. Space is limited, so sign up soon!

On Monday, July 17 from 4:00 – 5:00 pm, DeeAnne ART will teach teens ages 12 and up how to draw manga. Kids can draw characters they know or create their own. Registration is required. Sign up at the Events Calendar.

On Tuesday, July 18 from 4:00 – 6:00 pm, father/son team Arthur and Peter Evans of Makerspace Workshop will guide us through a 3D adventure, learning about 3D printing and design. This program is best for ages 7 and up. Register on the Events Calendar. This program is sponsored by the Friends of Plumb Library.

Adults are invited to try Chair Yoga with Ms. Marcia of Studio 105 on Monday, July 17 from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm. Registration is required.

Standing Room Only for Solar Hearing

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Rochester Planning Board Chairman Arnold Johnson was by turns indulgent and rebuking of the overflow crowd at the Rochester Town Hall Tuesday evening as he steered the board through the public hearings of two contentious projects proposed in town.

The first was a continued public hearing regarding the large-scale solar photovoltaic installation Special Permit application for a solar farm on Rounseville and Mendell Roads.

The applicant’s representative Steve Long presented updates to the standing room only crowd regarding the Electromagnetic Field (EMF) study, which suggested that the low levels outside the fence were insignificant and would not affect neighbors.

The 13-acre site would be cleared of vegetation, and residents expressed concern regarding the scenic quality of the existing trees on the site and along the roadway.

Long described to the board that the location of the solar panels was chosen to avoid any impact on the riverfront area of Doggett’s Brook, and saving trees along the road, he said, “…doesn’t save anything valuable.” Residents disagreed, stating that what’s valuable was saving the forest.

This tone continued throughout the discussion, with residents and Planning Board members taking aim at the project, but with board members expressing frustration with the state and its policy that favors solar farms.

Board member Ben Bailey pointed out that the legislature supports green energy sources, and as much as he doesn’t like the solar fields in town, he stated “[The state] suspended towns’ zoning regulations and made solar farms an exempted industrial use.”

Johnson asked for a show of hands of how many of those present attended the last Town Meeting. It was a poor showing, and Johnson said he was embarrassed that with 4,000 registered voters in town, that the quorum number was lowered from 100 to 75 at Town Meeting.

One resident said, “We are a small town; we’ve done our share,” and vowed to contact the State House to try to address the number of solar projects in town.

Another impassioned resident noted that the bylaw stated the board could take neighborhood character and social structure into account when siting a solar project.

Board member John DeMaggio briefly touched on this issue, saying that the wording was intentionally vague to give the board regulatory wiggle room.

The hearing was continued to Monday, August 7.

While many residents left at the close of the previous hearing, the room remained full to capacity as Johnson opened the public hearing for a Site Plan Review for a proposed farmer’s market in a 60-acre field on Route 105.

Bill Madden of G.A.F. Engineering, accompanied by applicant Craig Canning, presented the site plan, which includes two Morton style buildings 60 feet by 120 feet in size. The buildings and parking area would be located on 3.9 acres directly adjacent to Marion Road. The remaining acreage will continue to be used for cropland.

Canning noted that the location of the entrance to the site shown on the plan had been adjusted approximately 25 feet to the west to accommodate a neighbor’s concerns about its proximity to her driveway. The front building would be used for retail space, while processing, sorting, and cleaning produce would occur in the rear building, among other activities supporting the business of the retail space.

There are 50 parking spaces proposed, including handicapped spaces. The site is serviced by town water from Marion and will have its own septic system. There is a proposed seating area on the west side of the building, and a grassy area near the road for display of seasonal products such as mums, Christmas trees, and pumpkins. The road into the site and around the building will be paved, but the parking area will predominantly be gravel surfaced.

Madden noted that the applicant is seeking a waiver from the stormwater regulations, since the runoff can all be infiltrated on-site. There is minimal proposed lighting, except for the sign near the road and wall sconces on the building.

Canning informed the neighbors that truck traffic will be restricted to the early morning hours with fertilizer deliveries and trucks hauling produce from the farm. Residents of the nearby Hathaway Pond Circle expressed considerable concern about traffic and the potential for an increase in accidents. Johnson stated that the police chief had reviewed the site and was satisfied with the site lines for the entrance.

There was also a suggestion that Canning place the parking in the rear of the building to retain the “agricultural ambiance” of the area, to which Canning replied that the site was designed to maximize the use of the entire property and he did not think he could effectively use the site in any other configuration.

Madden noted that they will be requesting a variance for a commercial use in order to sell sandwiches and other items not produced on the farm. One resident reminded the crowd that there was a failed attempt to conserve this field, saying, “We all know what could have happened at this property. It was very gratifying to see [Canning’s] teenage son out there on the tractor on Sunday…. We will all benefit from this.”

The public hearing was continued to Tuesday, July 25.

The next meeting of the Rochester Planning Board is scheduled for July 25 at 7:00 pm at the Rochester Town Hall.

By Sarah French Storer

 

ORRHS Full of High Achievers

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With graduation, the school and community tend to focus on the senior class and their achievements at that time. However, the underclassmen also have an opportunity in the same period to celebrate their accomplishments for the past year. At the ORRHS Underclassmen Awards Night, these hard-working students had their chance to be honored.

The American Legion Award recipients were brought up first to receive certificates demonstrating their acceptance into the Massachusetts Boys and Girls State Programs. These parallel programs are aimed at teaching students responsible citizenship and giving a more hands-on understanding of the American political process. The members of the Class of 2018 selected for this opportunity were Jacob Asiaf, Nicholas Claudio, Evan Costa, Sam Pasquill, Ainslee Bangs, and Rachel Demmer. These students attended the week-long sessions at Stonehill College in late June.

Participants in Project Contemporary Competitiveness, hosted at Stonehill College each summer, were also awarded with a certificate stating their participation in the classes. Sophomore Ryu Huynh-Aoyama received this award.

The Presidential Service Award is given to community members who perform and record specific amounts of volunteer service hours based on their age. For instance, a gold medal is awarded to ages 11-15 for over 100 hours of service, and to ages 16-25 for over 250 hours of service. ORR students Mackenzie Drew, Ryu Hyunh-Aoyama, Brianna Lynch, Mia Quinlan, and Victoria Quinlan received the Gold Service Award. Sara Campopiano and Joanna Caynon received the Silver Service Award. Brielle Correia, Evan Costa, Alisha Mackin, Claire Noble-Shriver, and Madeline Scheub received the Bronze Service Award.

The Bausch and Lomb Honorary Science Award is given annually to a junior student who is high achieving in the sciences and has strong math scores in the PSAT, SAT or ACT. This award gives a $7,500 per year scholarship to recipients towards the University of Rochester in Rochester, NY. This year’s recipient was rising senior Jahn Pothier.

The National Latin Exam is an annual 45-minute test consisting of 40 multiple choice questions. Students in any Latin class at ORR have the option to take the specific level test corresponding to their class year level (i.e. Latin 2). Depending on the amount of correct answers, a student can receive a cum laude (with praise) or magna cum laude (with great praise) award. In Latin 2, Mackenzie Riley received a Magna Cum Laude and Noah Maxwell earned a Cum Laude. In Latin 4, Evan Tilley received a Magna Cum Laude and Hannah Powers earned a Cum Laude.

The National Spanish Exam runs and awards similarly to the NLE, except students are awarded with gold, silver, bronze, or honorable mentions for their high scores. For Spanish 1, Madeline Hartley received a silver medal and Alexander Wurl earned an Honorable Mention. In Spanish 2, Rosemary Loer received a silver medal, Emma Gabriel earned a bronze medal, and Felicia Aguiar, Milo Bednarczyk, Bethany Cabral, Sara Campopiano, Lucas Costa, Gabriel Jacobsen, and Tyler Rose received Honorable Mentions. For Spanish 3, Michaela Mattson received a bronze medal and Brielle Correia and Lily Pearl Poirier earned Honorable Mentions. Finally, in Spanish 4, Emily Bock and Nicholas Claudio received Honorable Mentions.

The American Mathematics Competition 10/12 are two 25-question, 75-minute multiple choice exams aimed at testing the problem-solving skills of students. The AMC 12 is for seniors and below, and the AMC 10 is for sophomores and below. For the 2017 AMC, Tyler Rose received an Outstanding Achievement award.

Students who excel on a previous AMC exam are invited to take the USA Mathematical Olympiad. For the 2017 Olympiad Contest, Robert Sylvester earned the Outstanding Achievement award.

The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Medal is awarded to “promising students who have distinguished themselves in mathematics and science.” This annual award is a merit scholarship for $25,000 a year for four years if the rising senior recipient applies, is accepted, and enrolls to Rensselaer. This year’s awardee was Hanil Kang.

The Harvard Prize Book Award is presented “in more than 2,000 high schools around the world to outstanding students in the next-to-graduating class who demonstrate excellence in scholarship and achievement in other nonacademic areas,” states the Harvard Alumni website. The Class of 2018 recipient of this award was Jahn Pothier.

The Cape Cod Tufts Club Book Award is presented to rising seniors in local high schools who demonstrate academic excellence. This year’s ORR recipient was Hanil Kang.

This is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the awards that the underclassmen students at ORRHS received this past year. The rest of the accolades handed out during Awards Night will be listed in a following article.

By Jo Caynon