The Rochester Historical Society will be having a cookbook sale on Saturday, August 13. It will be held at the Church/Museum at 355 County Road from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. The books are $1 each (all in excellent condition) and a portion of them are five for $1. Please come and shop. Call 508-961-7401 if you have any questions.
During the August 2 meeting of the Marion Board of Selectmen, Town Administrator Paul Dawson and Energy Management Committee members Jennifer Francis and Bill Saltonstall met with the selectmen to discuss how to handle cash payments from Eversource.
The utility’s 20-year contract with the town for energy produced from wind turbines includes a clause that allows them to pay the town cash instead of giving energy credits or net metering credits as originally planned. Now the town is faced with how to best handle receiving these cash payments.
Selectman Steve Cushing said, “The plan was to reduce energy costs.” Without direct deductions on municipal electricity bills, the EMC offered other ideas.
Francis said that the committee thought that possibly half of the Eversource payments could go into a new fund that could be used for such things as purchasing electric cars, replacing boilers in municipal buildings, or planning a municipal solar farm.
Dawson thought that part of the new cash flow should go towards the growing OPEB liability the town is facing and said, “…that will go a long way with bond raters.”
The selectmen were in agreement that to simply put the payments into the general fund might mean that the cash could get “lost” in the budget. They concurred that if funds were segregated, they should also be earmarked for specific items.
Selectman Jody Dickerson suggested that instead of looking at the entire lifecycle of the Eversource contract when brainstorming how to use the cash, perhaps just trying any plan ultimately agreed upon for five or ten years was better so that, “…we don’t tie the hands of future boards.”
The selectmen agreed that the EMC should continue to pursue ideas and to return to them with more fully developed plans.
In other news, Dawson said that a grant in the amount of $10,924 applied for by the Open Space Committee had been awarded. He said that these funds could now be used to complete the Grassi Bog repairs.
Dawson said that abutters to the town-held property had been “very patient” in dealing with stormwater runoff issues from a failure in an earlier water management plan designed by National Resources Conservation Service, a federal agency. Armed with a new plan from the NRCS that had been vetted by the town’s peer review consultants CDM Smith, Dawson believed “The new plan should fix the problems.”
Repairs to the historic Elizabeth Taber Library were also discussed. Board of Trustees President Jay Pateakos and architect Bob Raymond said that repairs to the front steps, door and improved handicap access were paramount to improving the structure. Raymond presented conceptual designs that had been part of the original campus concepts for the town house project to help the selectmen visualize what the front entrance changes would look like.
Funding for the repairs will be paid by donor funding, Pateakos said, and although it would not cost the town anything, public input was important. The selectmen were pleased with the plans and approved further exploration.
Continuing on the theme of repairs, Dawson said that the manufacturer of the siding used on the police station had declared the product defective and will repair and replace the siding under the warranty.
Funds for the Marion Scholarship fund were also discussed when Debra Watson met with the selectmen saying, “Since 1994, we have given ninety-one scholarships to Marion residents.” However, she noted that the fund was now empty. To fill the void, Watson said a raffle was held. The prize was three Red Sox tickets donated by Laura Sharpe and Jim Fogerty. The drawing was held and the winner announced: David Ellis. The raffle raised $550.
Fall special town meeting date was set for October 24 at 6:45 pm in the Sippican School multi-purpose room.
The next meeting of the Marion Board of Selectmen is scheduled for August 16 at 7:00 pm in the police station community meeting room.
By Marilou Newell
Timothy S. McGrath, 33, of Tiverton, RI, formerly of Mattapoisett, passed away unexpectedly August 5, 2016.
Born in Wareham, the son of Kelly M. Johnson and her husband James of Mattapoisett and Russell Marot of Coral Springs, FL, he lived in Mattapoisett most of his life.
Tim was an accomplished and award winning chef employed at several RI area restaurants, most recently at Stone Acre Pantry in Newport.
He was a graduate of Old Rochester Regional High School, class of 2001, where he played hockey and baseball. Tim also attended Johnson & Whales University and studied Culinary Arts. Tim was also an avid New England area sports fan, noteably the Red Sox, Patriots, and Bruins.
Survivors include his parents; his daughter, Rylee Shea McGrath and son Colin T. McGrath and their mother Jaime Peninne, all of North Providence; his close friend, Monica Lozano of Rocky Hill, CT; a brother, Ryan McGrath of Mattapoisett; a sister, Jillian McGrath of Mattapoisett; 3 aunts, Tracy McGrath of Tiverton, Laurie Buler and her husband George of Rochester and Karen Kilroy of Portsmouth, RI; his uncle, John McGrath of Rochester; and several nieces, nephews and cousins.
He was the grandson of the late Colin “Terry” McGrath with whom he shared a life long passion for fishing. Tim was most passionate about his children, extended family and friends, fishing and cooking. Tim will be surely missed by all who where blessed to know him.
Visiting hours are Wednesday from 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM in the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home For Funerals, 50 County Rd. (Rt. 6) Mattapoisett. A reception will follow at an undetermined location following the visiting hours. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.
The Mattapoisett Historical Society and The Mattapoisett Free Public Library present five lectures about World War I by Seth Mendell. All five lectures will begin at 7:00 pm at the Mattapoisett Free Public Library, 7 Barstow Street, Mattapoisett.
August 16 – Prologue and Outbreak of War: Mendell gives a broad overview of the nations of Europe as they were in the last half of the 19th century, and the circumstances that led to the outbreak of war in 1914.
August 23 – The Opening Phases: Strategies and Battle: Mendell describes the failure of the initial German offensive, how the British Gallipoli Campaign was devised, and the importance of naval forces to the conflict. Lecture ends with the disastrous sinking of the Lusitania.
August 30 – Middle Phases: Major Battles and Events: Some of the war’s most notable battles and events played out in the context of changing warfare practices in the early 20th century.
September 6 – United States Entry & The Russian Revolution: In his fourth lecture, Seth Mendell outlines the circumstances that brought the U.S. into the war and the impact of Lenin’s ascendance in Russia.
September 13 – Ploughboys into Doughboys – Collapse of Central Powers: This final entry of Seth Mendell’s WWI series focuses on the American side of the conflict and the eventual surrender of Germany and the Central Powers.
If you have questions, please call the Mattapoisett Historical Society at 508 758 2844 or the Mattapoisett Free Public Library at 508-758-4171.
Curry College is pleased to announce that Bethany Fisher of Mattapoisett received a Bachelor of Science degree on Sunday, May 22 at the commencement ceremony in Milton.
Celeste A. Popitz, of Marion, was awarded Faculty Honors for the spring 2016 semester at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut.
Well, it’s finally come to pass – the youngest granddaughter is now driving. We knew the day would come, used to joke about it when she was a little child just learning how to ride a two-wheeler. Now she’s driving my car.
I think it’s pretty darn brave of me to sit in the passenger seat giving full control of not only my new car but my very life and well, hers too, as we s-l-o-w-l-y drive up and down the country roads of the Tri-Town area.
Her biggest fear is not causing bodily harm to us but, instead, damaging the car and creating a financial burden. I really couldn’t care less about the car exchanging my well-placed anxiety on the human factor. But that may be the difference between our chronological ages. Being older, I worry about life; she, being younger, believes life is endless. Deep sigh.
Anyway, she is driving and I am the passenger.
You notice different things from the passenger’s seat – like how close the trees are along curvy roads in Rochester or the deep gullies gouged out by decades of stormwater runoff. I can’t stop my vivid imagination from wondering how horrible it would be if a second from now the tire on my side got sucked into the breach. It doesn’t happen. I murmur, “Hey, you are doing really well.” She responds, “I know.”
The shingled and clapboard homes, the elongated pastures, the occasional flower stands and, yes, the thick trees sweep past our field of vision as we cruise along at 35 miles per hour. It becomes restful until a driver comes up behind us seeming to want to push our car along faster while up ahead is a bicyclist who can’t imagine the level of danger he is in.
Nothing happens. I say, “Don’t worry about that car. Just watch out for the guy on the bike.” She responds, “I know.”
Soon enough, the driver that was in a hurry turns off and is no longer threatening to drive right over us, and the bicyclist is still pedaling merrily along. A memory floats in to fill the ambient silence.
When this young woman was a baby and I was babysitting while her parents labored away, in order to get her to take a nap, I’d often put her in the car and drive her around.
Up and down Interstate 195 from the Mattapoisett to the Marion exit and back again, I’d gently maneuver the mini-van as I intermittently peeked in the rearview mirror for that moment when her little head would at last tilt to the side and she, in blissful baby-sleep, would finally nap.
I’d return home with my sleeping sweetheart, drive into our back lot, park the van under a shady tree and turn off the engine. For the next hour or so, I could read my book while she napped, or more often than not, I’d nap too.
During these occasions if my husband was home, he’d stealthily creep up to the driver’s door and whisper through the half-opened window, “Do you need anything?” No, I didn’t need a thing. As a grandparent, you know the importance of relishing the moment, the sheer unadulterated joy of watching a sleeping child. It only lasts forever in one’s mind.
Pulling out of my reverie, I realize she’s driving 40 miles per hour in a posted 40 mile per hour zone. I say, “Better to go a bit slower on this curvy road.” She responds, “I know,” and slows the car down to 35.
I want to tell her so many things. I want to impart all I’ve learned these six plus decades, all the wins and losses, how to process some of life’s misfortunes, how to build on one’s successes, how to drive this car expertly. I settle on the driving lesson.
Probably one of the most difficult aspects of being a parent or grandparent is knowing and accepting that we can’t deliver our children into adulthood without bumps and bruises. A very smart older woman once told me when I was still a young, thoroughly inexperienced mother that to protect one’s child from life’s blows was tantamount to being a bad parent. Simply put, they wouldn’t build the emotional muscles needed to bear up under the weight of all that was to come. I responded, “I know.”
Like the seventeen year old driving the car, I didn’t know then, but I sure know now.
Maybe one day she’ll reflect on the hours we drove around as she built up her driving skills and understand what I really wanted to say but didn’t, “The driving lessons are never really over.” Perhaps she’ll think, “I know – now.”
By Marilou Newell
Cynthia M. (McMahon) Clancy, 70, of Marion, died Aug. 5, 2016 at home after a lengthy battle with ovarian cancer. She was the wife of Robert P. Clancy.
She was born in Boston and lived in Arlington, Boston and Wayland before moving to Marion in 2011.
She graduated from Tufts University, Northeastern University and Lesley University.
She is survived by her husband, Robert P. Clancy; her son, Steven J. Clancy of Chappaqua, NY; her daughter, Christine Clancy of Copenhagen, Denmark; her brother, Thomas McMahon of Lynn; her sister, Jill McMahon of Centennial, CO; her grandchildren, Liam and Bryn Clancy.
Her funeral will be held at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2016 from the Chapman, Cole & Gleason Funeral Home, 2599 Cranberry Hwy., Wareham, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 a.m. in St. Rita’s Church, Front St., Marion.
Visiting hours are from 5 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to Southcoast VNA, 200 Mill Rd., Fairhaven, MA 02719 or Clearity Foundation, 4365 Executive Dr., Suite 1500, San Diego, CA 92121. For directions and online guestbook, visit: www.ccgfuneralhome.com.
Carol M. (Rothwell) Smith, 77, of Rochester passed away at St. Luke’s Hospital on August 5, 2016. She was the wife of George J. Smith.
Mrs. Smith was born in Acushnet, daughter of the late Henry and Gertrude (Sherman) Rothwell, and was a lifelong resident of Rochester. She was a member of the First Congregational Church of Rochester. She attended the Waterman School in Rochester, Wareham High School and New Bedford High School where she graduated. She went on to graduate from the Kinyon-Campbell Business School and was a secretary at Abramson, Titus & Levinson Law Firm in New Bedford before becoming a mother and homemaker. She loved spending time with her family, playing cards each night with her husband and loved to read and do puzzles.
In addition to her husband, she is survived by her daughter and son-in-law: Sandra T. and Ernest G. Michaud; and 2 grandchildren: Eric D. and Amanda M. Michaud. She was mother of the late Karen M. and David G. Smith.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend a graveside service at the Rochester Center Cemetery on Tuesday at 10 A.M.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the First Congregational Church of Rochester, 11 Constitution Way, Rochester, MA 02770.
Help Decorate the Library: Friday, August 26, 3:00 – 4:30 pm, kids ages 10 and up. Start with creating beautiful designs outside the library by participating in Marion Recreation Department’s “Chalk It Up” drawing contest event. Then head inside the Elizabeth Taber Library, anytime between 3:00 – 4:30 pm, to paint some of our book ends to help us decorate the library.
Memoir Writing Workshop: Tuesdays, September 6 to October 4, 2:00 – 4:00 pm. Everyone has a story to tell. Here’s your chance to get it on paper and share it with your family. This five-week introductory workshop is free to the public and will be led by Al Caron and Linda Schuessler. Participants will write segments about their life and read them aloud to others to receive feedback on each piece. Registration is required. Please call the Elizabeth Taber Library at 508-748-1252 to reserve your spot today.
Afternoon Book Club: Please join us for our monthly afternoon book discussion on Tuesday, August 16 at 2:00 pm when we will discuss In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl’s Journey to Freedom by Yeonmi Park. Please stop into the Elizabeth Taber Library today to register and reserve a copy of the monthly book.
Other upcoming meetings include: September – I Know Where I’m Going: Katharine Hepburn by Charlotte Chandler and October – The Wright Brothers by David McCullough
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 State Parks Pass. To reserve a pass or for more information, please call the library at 508-748-1252 or visit our website www.elizabethtaberlibrary.org.
Homebound Library Services: The Elizabeth Taber Library, in partnership with the Council on Aging, is pleased to offer homebound delivery services to those Marion residents unable to visit the library because of short- or long-term illness, as well as physical or visual disabilities. To be eligible for this program, you must be a Homebound Marion resident with a library card in good standing. To arrange to have library books or audio books delivered to your home, please call the Elizabeth Taber Library at 508-748-1252.
Free Online Resources: With your Marion library card, you now have access to a whole lot of fun and free information online. The Elizabeth Taber Library now subscribes to the following e-resources: Instantflix – access to thousands of streaming films and shorts from around the world; Universal Class – an online continuing education program with over 500 courses; Zinio Digital Magazines – access to 50 top magazines online; and A to Z World Travel – access to over 200 city travel guides online. For more information, please call the Elizabeth Taber Library at 508-748-1252.
The Crescent Beach Association will host an art show of local artists on Saturday, August 13 from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm at Raymond Hall, 12 Beach Street, Mattapoisett. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the association.