The Old Rochester Class of 1964 will hold their annual summer gathering at noon on July 9 at Ned’s Point Lighthouse rain or shine. Classmates and friends are invited to bring a lawn chair and a bag lunch to catch up on the past year’s activities, reminisce about the good old days or just enjoy an afternoon of good conversation. If you are in the area, stop by as you never know who might show up.
Sign up today for the Mattapoisett Lions Club Triathlon, a USAT-sanctioned, .25-mile swim in well-sheltered harbor, 10-mile bike ride on scenic county roads, and 5K run to ocean-front park and around Ned’s Point Lighthouse. Held on Sunday, July 10 at 8:00 am at the Mattapoisett Town Beach, Water Street, Mattapoisett, the entry fee is $70 early registration until July 1. After July 1, the fee will increase by $5. Register online at www.lightboxreg.com/mattapoisett-lions-triathlon or email mattlionsclub@gmail.com for registration form. Proceeds benefit Mattapoisett Lions Club charities.
Silvershell Beach will officially open on Monday, June 20 at 9:00 am. Residents of Marion and Rochester can purchase beach access stickers from their respective town halls. Daily passes for non-residents are available at the gate for $10. Guards will staff Silvershell Beach seven days a week from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm until late summer. In conjunction with this opening, Marion Recreation will also host its annual Opening Week Beach Party on Saturday, June 25 from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm with a free cookout with hot dogs, drinks, and chips for attendees.
Between Friday, June 10 and Sunday, June 12, the Mattapoisett Fire and Marine Rescue unit responded to several water-related incidents.
Friday found the first responders searching for a person yelling for help in the vicinity of Dyar Road near Mattapoisett Harbor. Chief Andrew Murray said in a follow-up interview, “Within seven minutes the fire rescue team had a visual on…” the 67-year-old man. He said the man was 400 to 500 yards off shore. He was transported back to the town’s wharf where the ambulance was waiting to treat the boater for hypothermia and exposure, Murray said.
Then came Saturday when, for the better part of the day, the department aided in the search of a missing boater. By Sunday morning, as hope faded that it would continue to be a rescue mission, the Mattapoisett FD continued to search.
The U.S. Coast Guard called off the rescue mission around 10:00 am.
Murray said he had not received any official information on the boater other than that the body was recovered near the Cape Cod train bridge spanning the canal, and that they believe the male boater went in the water between Wareham and Marion.
Also on Sunday around 10:45 am, Murray said the rescue boat responded to a call for help with the message the boat was taking on water off Ned’s Point. When the rescue team arrived at the location, they found the boater in the water clinging to his boat.
“It was a Boston Whaler. They don’t sink, but the boat was indeed filled with water,” Murray said. He also said the boater’s phone was in a waterproof case which allowed the person to place the 911 call, but that the 24-year-old male was not wearing a life jacket.
Of his department, Murray said, “We are pretty well prepared … the taxpayers support us.” He said that during an emergency as many as 34 responders may show up and that response times are generally around two minutes.
The department is made up of staff and volunteers who are all certified as first responders. Murray also said that he has three paramedics and nine EMTs on staff.
By Marilou Newell
For over 60 years, the Mattapoisett Woman’s Club has been striving to help young people in their educational pursuits. This year, the Club is happy to award four scholarships to students from Old Rochester Regional High School.
The selected students are:
– Abigail Field, who will attend UMASS Dartmouth and major in History. She is the daughter of Robert and Kimberly Field.
– Serena Jaskolka, who will attend Worcester State to study communication science. She is the daughter of Cheryl McGuire and Christopher Jaskolka.
– Jane Kassabian, who will attend University of Notre Dame with an interest in Math. She is the daughter of Jay and Laurie Kassabian.
– Maggie Wiggin, who will attend College of the Holy Cross to study Political Science and Finance. She is the daughter of Amy and Kenneth Wiggin.
All four students possess excellent academic achievements, have done multiple community service tasks, and have participated in several extracurricular activities.
The Mattapoisett Woman’s Club especially thanks the community for its support of our Garden Tour which this year takes place on June 25 and “Taste of the Town” which takes place during Harbor Days. These fundraising activities make our scholarships possible. Congratulations to Abby, Serena, Jane and Maggie.
Annual Book Sale: Our annual book sale will take place at the Marion Music Hall on Friday, July 29 from 4:00 – 7:00 pm and Saturday, July 30 from 9:00 am – 1:00 pm. Please come and support your local library. All funds raised from the book sale are spent on enhancing our programs and services. Gently-used book/CD/DVD donations will be collected at the library during our open hours. For more information on the book sale, please call the library at 508-748-1252.
Book a Librarian: Do you have basic technology questions or need assistance with an electronic device you recently acquired? Then call the library to book a one-on-one appointment with one of our friendly staff members. We’re happy to help!
Mystery Book Club: Please join us for our monthly mystery book discussion on Wednesday, July 6 at 11:00 am. We will be discussing I’d Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman. Please stop into the Elizabeth Taber Library today to register and reserve a copy of the monthly book.
Afternoon Book Club: Please join us for our monthly afternoon book discussion on Tuesday, July 19 at 2:00 pm. We will be discussing Boston Girl by Anita Diamant. Please stop into the Elizabeth Taber Library today to register and reserve a copy of the monthly book.
Museum Passes: Looking for something fun to do with friends and family this summer? Then come to the Elizabeth Taber Library to check out any of our museum passes with your SAILS library card! We currently have discounted passes to the Heritage Museums and Gardens, Museum of Fine Arts, Mystic Aquarium, New Bedford Whaling Museum, Plimoth Plantation, Providence Children’s Museum, Roger Williams Zoo and the Mass Parks Pass. To reserve a pass or for more information, please call the library at 508-748-1252 or visit our website at www.elizabethtaberlibrary.org.
Hearing about school-related matters via the press before the School Committee has been informed is concerning, said Rochester School Committee member Sharon Hartley on June 9 regarding Rochester Police Chief Paul Magee’s recent proposal to selectmen to add a part-time school resource officer to Rochester Memorial School.
“It was actually kind of alarming that the chief of police would go to the selectmen before he would … to the school committee,” Hartley said.
Hartley was particularly concerned with the idea that the school would be providing funding for the position in light of recent cuts made to balance the FY17 school budget.
In Magee’s defense, RMS Principal Derek Medeiros said the topic was touched on during a prior school budget subcommittee meeting, saying, “He was under the impression that you guys at least had some awareness of it.”
Medeiros said Magee currently visits the school once a month to keep contact with the school administration and provide any insight that may benefit the school.
The proposal stems from a similar resource officer proposal at Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School, which seeks to add an officer to the school three days a week. Magee approached the town to see if there was interest in creating a full-time resource officer position by adding two days a week at RMS.
From a safety standpoint, said Medeiros, the proposal makes sense. From a budget standpoint, he said, “We felt that this was something that we could support.”
“Having a police officer over here for safety and also to build relationships with the kids … I say, hey, what a great opportunity.”
Old Colony is still in the process of approving the position, and Medeiros said Magee is still waiting for an update from Old Colony. In the meantime, he sought an opinion from the Rochester Board of Selectmen.
“The educational piece would be great for the kids, I think,” said School Committee member Meagan Bennett. “And to have some familiarity…”
Committee member Jennifer Kulak said, with lack of funding for a health teacher, she thought it was a great idea, especially with implementing a piece on drugs and drug abuse while building relationships with the students.
For Hartley, funding was an issue. She claimed that, traditionally, adding a resource officer would be funded by the police and through grants. Although she likes the idea of having an officer in the school, this year’s budget proved disappointing to School Committee members when it came to having to go without.
“We would have to have a serious discussion about what that means,” said Hartley. “Do you want to find extra money and put in a police officer in the school or are there other priorities?”
Medeiros said next year, with the retiring of a number of top-tier employees, some funds might be opened up that could absorb the school’s cost for the position. Business Administrator Patrick Spencer concurred.
Hartley said she does think the chief’s premature proposal to selectmen was unintentional, but the process remains problematic.
“We don’t want that to happen again,” said Hartley.
“It looks like something we are willing to explore,” said Chairman Tina Rood.
Superintendent Doug White said the chief will likely attend a future School Committee meeting to discuss the matter more in-depth and to provide information on the roles of the position as well as funding.
In a follow-up email, Magee said Hartley’s concern had not been brought to his attention and declined to comment.
The next meeting of the Rochester School Committee is scheduled for September 8 at 6:30 pm in the Rochester Memorial School band room.
By Jean Perry
Marion’s Energy Management Committee is pleased to announce that on June 7 the Board of Selectman approved an increase in the number of electric vehicles (EVs) to be requested through grant applications. The Board initially approved three EVs for municipal use; that number is now four. Funding for one EV was already received, and a Nissan Leaf was delivered in March 2016 for use by the Recreation Department. The first grant also covered costs for two high-speed charging stations, which are installed at the Town House and at the Atlantic Drive facility. Both are available for public use. Two of the three additional EVs, if grants are approved, will replace low-MPG, ex-police cruisers now used by the Board of Health and the Department of Public Works. The third will be used by the Council on Aging, reducing mileage on their large vans when only a few people require transportation. At least two additional charging stations would also be purchased using grant funds, which we hope will encourage more residents in our region to choose EVs. By replacing gas-guzzling vehicles with clean EVs, Marion is saving tax dollars, reducing greenhouse gas emissions (about 4 tons of carbon/car/year), and raising awareness of human-caused climate change. The Massachusetts Electric Vehicle Incentive Program (MassEVIP) is funded through fees on vehicle inspections that began in 2012 to support pollution-reduction initiatives. Additional information is available from EMC member Jennifer Francis at francis@imcs.rutgers.edu.
Karen E. (Grew) Prevett, age 72, of Marion, formerly of Mansfield passed away, surrounded by her loving family, on Tuesday June 14, 2016 at Boston Medical Center in Boston. She was the beloved wife of the late John C. Prevett.
Born in Norwood, MA on November 18, 1943, she was a loving daughter of the late Joseph and Kay (Horton) Grew.
Karen grew up in Norwood and was a graduate of Norwood High School. She had made her home in Marion for the past 10 and was a former resident of Mansfield.
Prior to retiring, Mrs. Prevett had worked for several years in the Admitting Dept. at Falmouth Hospital. She had previously worked at Sturdy Memorial Hospital in Attleboro for many years, and also as a title examiner in the City of Taunton.
Since living in Marion, Karen was a member of the Council on Aging, where she made many friends and enjoyed the council’s hospitality of shopping trips.
Karen loved spending time with her family and received so much pleasure doing jigsaw puzzles with her adoring grandchildren. She also enjoyed reading and cooking, and when younger, the many summers spent in Popponesset.
She is survived by her devoted children Stephen Prevett of Georgia, Denise Prevett of Everett, Patricia Marraffa and her husband Tony of Mattapoisett and John Prevett and his wife Karen of Mansfield. She was the dear sister of Kenneth Grew of Grafton, Gail Taddeo of Florida and Steven Grew of North Carolina. She was the cherished grandmother of Jenna, Samantha, Alec, Jay, Emily, Anthony, Paige, Cole and Jake, the great grandmother of Rhys, and is also survived by many nieces and nephews, and her best friends Paul, Annie, Nancy and Priscilla.
Services and burial will be private.
Visiting hours have been omitted and those wishing may remember Karen with a donation in her memory made to the Marion Council on Aging, 2 Spring St., Marion, MA 02738.
Arrangements are under the care and direction of the Sherman & Jackson Funeral Home, 55 North Main St., Mansfield.
To send her family a message of condolence, please visit www.shermanjackson.com
Timothy J. O’Connor, 54, of Mattapoisett, died Tuesday June 14, 2016 due to ongoing health issues. A lifelong resident of Mattapoisett, he was a 1980 graduate of Old Rochester Regional High School, a 1984 graduate of Bucknell University and received his MBA from Bentley College in 1991.
He was the son of Betty L. (Smith) O’Connor of Mattapoisett and the late Lawrence J. O’Connor, the younger brother of Sean O’Connor and his wife Paula of Martha’s Vineyard and Fairhaven, and the loving uncle of Brian O’Connor of Watertown, Kelly O’Connor of Sarasota, FL, and Shannon O’Connor of Martha’s Vineyard. He is also survived by an aunt, an uncle and several cousins.
During his career, Mr. O’Connor worked as a financial analyst, cost analyst and budgeting analyst with the COM/Energy-COM/Electric companies. He then moved on to New Bedford City Hall where he was the City Auditor under the Tierney and Kalisz Administrations. He ended his career as the Associate Superintendent for Finance and Planning for the Old Rochester Regional School District.
His Memorial Service will be held on Saturday June 18, 2016 at 2 PM at the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Route 6, Mattapoisett. His family receive visitors from 12-2 PM prior to the service. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.