Tri-County Symphonic Band

on

The Tri-County Symphonic Band announces its 15th Annual Benefit Pops Concert, “Hollywood Blockbusters,” on Sunday, June 11 in the Grand Tent at the Fireman Performing Arts Center, Tabor Academy, 235 Front Street, Marion. 1:00 pm – Social Hour, Light Fare, and Raffle and 2:00 pm – Concert, Cupcakes and Coffee. Admission is $25. Tickets may be purchased at The Bookstall in Marion, the Symphony Music Shop in Dartmouth, and online at BrownPaperTickets.com. Any remaining tickets will be sold at the door.

Academic Achievements

on

The following Tri-Town residents were among 1,319 students from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) named to the university’s Dean’s List for academic excellence for the spring 2017 semester:

– Nicole Mattson of Marion is a member of the class of 2020 majoring in biomedical engineering.

– Alex Tavares of Marion is a member of the class of 2020 majoring in robotics engineering and computer science.

– Drew Robert of Mattapoisett is a member of the class of 2020 majoring in robotics engineering.

– Edward Krawczyk of Rochester is a member of the class of 2020 majoring in robotics engineering.

– Chad Underhill of Rochester is a member of the class of 2019 majoring in computer science.

The criteria for the WPI Dean’s List differs from most other universities as WPI does not compute a grade point average (GPA). Instead, WPI defines the Dean’s List by the amount of work completed at the A level in courses and projects.

Isabella King of Marion qualified for the spring 2017 Dean’s List at Belmont University. Eligibility is based on a minimum course load of 12 hours and a quality grade point average of 3.5 with no grade below a C.

Joshua Evan Powers of Mattapoisett graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BS in Accounting from Endicott College on Saturday, May 20, 2017. Mr. Powers is an ORRHS alumni class of 2013.

            The following local residents have been named to Emerson College’s Dean’s List for the spring 2017 semester. The requirement to make the Dean’s List is a grade point average of 3.7 or higher.

– Victor Morrison, a Writing, Lit and Publishing major, of Rochester

– Abigail Morrill, a Journalism major, of Mattapoisett

– Samantha Babineau, a Communication Disorders major, of Rochester

Erin Murphy of Rochester recently was graduated from Florida Gulf Coast University with a Bachelor of Arts from the College of Arts and Sciences.

Meredith Welsh, daughter of Dr. And Mrs. Jason Reynolds of Marion, graduated from Boston University School of Public Health with a Master’s degree in Public Health on May 20, 2017. She was also inducted into the Health Policy and Management Upsilon Phi Delta Honor Society. Meredith will continue her education at the University of Massachusetts Medical School’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program.

Escape

on

“Dad, you’re not sick, you’re hurt. You’re going to get better…”

I repeated those words to my father over and over in the days after his accident as he lay in the hospital bed, heavily medicated and so very far away.

Dad, a man who had never, ever slept in the upstairs bedrooms of his small cottage, who had, in fact, slept alone in the downstairs bedroom since 1964, had been upstairs on that fateful night. Exactly what happened will never be known. He apparently had done as he was told, moved upstairs for the night while his wife, my mother, occupied the downstairs bedroom located near the bathroom.

When I arrived at their home after receiving her call alerting me that “something bad” had happened to my father, I was shocked to find their dining room destroyed.

As she explained it, the previous day she had not been feeling well. Her urgent need of the bathroom throughout the day was a problem exacerbated by her severe mobility issues. As night approached, she told Dad to sleep upstairs so she could be near the bathroom – “just in case.”

The following morning she thought she heard him preparing the coal stove to warm up the house. The sounds went on for some time, but she was not alarmed; she couldn’t hear the magnitude of his struggle – she was hard of hearing, nearly deaf. She hadn’t heard the sound of breaking glass, cabinets being overturned, and his writhing on the floor screaming.

A pool of blood at the bottom of the stairs shocked me as I opened the door. Massive shards of broken glass were scattered across the floor. Crushed and broken bits and pieces of knickknacks, teacups, and glassware presented as gifts by loving children and grandchildren – her treasures – now covered in his blood were evidence that something very bad indeed had happened.

“They’ve taken him to the hospital,” she said. And then, “Could you make me a cup of coffee?” I trembled from head to toe as I approached her trying to figure out if she, too, was hurt. “I’m fine, but that damn fool broke everything.” Her voice was flat and emotionless.

She told me he had slept upstairs so she could be near the bathroom and that he must have fallen during the night as he descended those “wretched” narrow ladder-like stairs on his way to the toilet. One slipper at the top of the landing and one at the bottom near the pool of blood bore witness to the accident. She wasn’t sure how badly he was hurt, saying to me, “You better go see.”

Arriving at the hospital, I found him battling the nursing staff unable to understand a simple request to stay still for X-rays. He had a massive wound on his forehead and a cut above his eye. The soles of his feet were lacerated.

The hours and days that followed are etched in my memory. I spent every moment I could by his bedside overseeing his care and telling him, “You are hurt, Dad. You’ve had an accident. You are going to get better…” over and over again.

As the extent of his head injury became more apparent to the medical staff – a massive bruise to the frontal lobe of his brain similar to his head going through the windshield of a moving vehicle – it was clear we were in for the long haul.

He was never the same after that.

Yet, for most of the fifteen years he lived after that accident, he enjoyed life in ways we could never have imaged.

His personality changed. He was, for the most part, content, unburdened by the need to work, glad to sit and chat, albeit much of it was nonsensical or half thoughts.

Then one day he began to talk about WWII. He talked about the months he spent in the Army, a driver for a high-ranking officer, a grunt who did his duty. He didn’t mention the bronze star he was awarded.

“I was scared, you’d be a fool not to be scared … that water was cold I tell ya’ … the boys were falling and drowning … it was awful … the bullets sounded like ‘ping-ping-ping’ on the side of the boats … the Germans were hiding in the woods … I woke up under the jeep and saw them looking at me … they ran away … we were under the jeep for a few days waiting … we were separated from our unit … them boys they liked those coal fires I built … I took those felt liners from that store and put them in my boots … the people were so glad to see us…”

Dad was a hardworking simple man whose life had not been defined by WWII but by the years he survived the domestic cold war at home. He never lost his nerve, kept pulling forward doing his duty the only way he knew how – keeping your head down.

As dementia consumed his aging brain, he believed he was rich, he believed he had a young wife and small children living in peace and harmony.

At first I was concerned that these delusions were a problem. But in actuality, he had made his escape. Now I am glad that, in the end, he lived happily ever after.

By Marilou Newell

David B. Horton Sr.

on

David B. Horton Sr., 69 of Eastham died May 24, 2017 unexpectedly while on the waters of Cape Cod doing what he enjoyed.

Born in Rockville Centre, NY, the son of the late George L. and Irene S. (Smith) Horton, he lived in Marion for 30 years before moving to Eastham.

He was a member of the Wellfleet United Methodist Church.

Mr. Horton was the proprietor of MacLean’s Seaford for many years. He was well known and respected in the fishing industry. During retirement, he enjoyed clamming and growing and harvesting oysters. He was involved in many charitable organizations and was instrumental in the founding of The 246 Community Kitchen in Wellfleet, Ma.

Survivors include his former wife, Caroline (Lavallee) Horton of Plymouth; 3 sons, David B. Horton, Jr. and his wife Liz of Waltham, MA, Nathaniel Horton and his wife Maria of Morristown, NJ and Christopher Horton and his wife Kelly of Marion: 5 grandchildren, Justin, Christopher Jr., Kyla, Eloise and Noah; 2 brothers, Frederick Horton and his wife Claire of Poughkeepsie, NY and Lawrence Horton of Quincy; several sisters in law, nieces and nephews.

He was the father of the late Bethany Horton and the brother of the late George L. Horton, III and Ronald Horton.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in his name to one of the charitable organizations he was involved in: The 246 Community Kitchen, a ministry of the United Methodist Church, Wellfleet, 246kitchen.org or The Mustard Seed.

His visiting hours will be held on Thursday, June 1st from 4-8 PM in the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Route 6, Mattapoisett. His Funeral Service will be held on Friday, June 2nd in the Wellfleet United Methodist Church at 10 AM. Burial will follow in Evergreen Cemetery, Eastham. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

Elks Student of the Month

on

The Elks of Wareham Lodge No. 1548 sponsors the Elks Student of the Month and Student of the Year Awards for students enrolled in local area high schools. The criteria used in nominating a student includes a student who excels in scholarship, citizenship, performing arts, fine arts, hobbies, athletics, church, school and community service, industry and farming.

We congratulate junior Hannah Farias of Marion for being selected as Student of the Month for the month of June by the Old Rochester Regional High School faculty and staff. Hannah is a junior and a delight to have in class. She continues to show commitment and willingness to help. She is always eager to go the extra mile. She is a person who is well organized, considerate, and independent.

2017 Memorial Day Ceremony and Parade

on

The Mattapoisett Memorial Day Ceremony and Parade will take place on Monday, May 29 at 1:30 pm. We are honored to have Commander Bryan D. Williams, U.S. Navy as our guest speaker. Due to road construction, the ceremony will take place on the Barstow Street side of the Center School Grounds, in place of the library. The parade route will remain the same. Participants are asked to arrive at 1:00 pm. This year marks a 100 year milestone for one of our Town’s residents. It was 100 years ago this year, in 1917, when George Randall’s father, Jerry L. Randall recited the Gettysburg Address. In honor of this 100 year anniversary, George Randall will recite the Gettysburg Address at our 2017 Ceremony.

Old Rochester Sports on the ‘Up and Up’

on

Here is a summary of this week in sports at Old Rochester Regional.

            Boys’ Lacrosse: The Bulldogs matched up against Dighton Rehoboth last week and dominated the game 14-2. Freshman attack Finn McCain and senior Landon Goguen both contributed three goals. Kyle Gillis had two goals for Old Rochester and Alex Lorenz, Jake DeMoranville, Holden King, and Corey Lunn each shot in one. Dighton Rehoboth struggled to get past the Bulldogs tight-knit defense. Dighton Rehoboth managed to get off 13 shots, but the Old Rochester goalie, Nate King, saved 11 of them. In their most recent matchup, the Bulldogs lost a competitive game to Sandwich 14-6. Goguen carried the team with four goals, while McCain and Tirrell both had one. Again, King had a good game with 13 saves in net. These games advance the Bulldogs to 12-3, 9-1 SCC on the season.

            Girls’ Tennis: The Lady Bulldogs tennis team had a booked week with four matches in six days, but they managed to stay undefeated. Old Rochester started off their week with a narrow win over Seekonk, 3-2. The first singles player Delaney Pothier won 6-2, 6-2. Danielle Nutter at second singles and the pair of Emma Collings and Kinsley Dickerson at first doubles also achieved wins. They faced league rivals, the Apponequet Lakers, on Tuesday to determine which SCC team would continue as undefeated champions of the league. The Lady Bulldogs took their first loss of the season against Apponequet, which put them in second place for the league. Pothier and Nutter both lost at first and second singles. However, both doubles teams, composed of Collings paired with Dickerson and Delaney Soucy paired with Charlotte Cole, won. The winner of the match was left to the third singles players. Unfortunately, after a three-hour match, Zoe Bilodeau lost. Old Rochester advanced their record to 13-1, 11-1 SCC.

            Boys’ Tennis: In their three matches this week, the Old Rochester boys’ tennis team had no losses and allowed zero points scored from their competitors. The Bulldogs opened up their week with a 5-0 win over Seekonk. Sam Pasquill, Alex Bilodeau, and Justin Smith all captured wins in the singles courts, while Jake Thompson coupled with Jahn Pothier and Sam Wiggins combined with Michael Stack both had team victories in the doubles matches. In the midst of last week, the Bulldogs faced Dighton Rehoboth and had a landslide win 5-0. Old Rochester was victorious in all five matchups, and managed to not lose a set. Pasquill, Bilodeau, and Pothier all played singles. Josh Lerman and Maxx Wolski played at first doubles and Caleb Jagoda and Ray Williams participated at second doubles. Later in the week, the Bulldogs faced Wareham and pulled away with a 5-0 defeat. Smith was a first singles winner and Ian Friedrichs and Jack Cadden notched second and third singles wins. Thompson teamed up with Stack to earn themselves a win at first doubles. Joe Sheridan and Emmett McQuade managed a victory at second doubles. Old Rochester remains undefeated this season with a record of 13-0, 11-0 SCC. After their matches against Apponequet and Case, Old Rochester becomes the fourth-straight-year undefeated SEC Champions.

            Baseball: Despite a tough but well-played game, Old Rochester lost to Seekonk 3-2. After the first inning, Seekonk had scored an unmatched run. However, in the second the Bulldogs persevered and scored two runs. Dave Arruda pitched through five innings only allowing Seekonk one run off of four hits. In the sixth inning, the opponent managed to tie the game up 2-2. Sam Henrie stepped in as pitcher, but it was not enough. Some questionable calls and two wild pitches cost Old Rochester the game. The bad luck turned around for the Bulldogs after their loss against Seekonk. Old Rochester played Coyle Cassidy and achieved a 6-1 victory. Michael Kenefick was the most valuable player for the Bulldogs at the mound. Kenefick gave up only one run off of two hits and two walks. He managed to retire 22 of the 25 batters and had seven strikeouts. Henrie had one homerun and 2 RBIs, Jacob Asiaf had a double and a homerun, and Adam Breault had a single and a homerun. In their most recent match, Old Rochester competed in a grueling battle, but triumphed over Greater New Bedford Voc Tech 8-7. Will Hopkins was 2-for-4 and contributed two runs. Henrie finished 1-for-2 with two runs and two walks, while Asiaf ended the game 2-for-4 with two runs. Kenefick was 2-for-3 with a walk and two RBIs. Both Breault brothers shined, with John (older) going 2-for-4 with two RBIs and Adam (younger) going 2-for-4 with one RBI. James Dwyer went 3-for-4 and added a run.

            Softball: The Old Rochester softball team earned themselves two wins this week against tough competition Seekonk and Coyle Cassidy. The Lady Bulldogs won 5-3 over Seekonk thanks to a strong pitcher and a tough batting lineup. Ashley Soares struck out seven by walking two and allotting nine hits. Sophie Hubbard, Olivia Labbe, and Hannah Guard played an aggressive offensive game, which contributed to the win. Hubbard went 4-for-4 with one RBI, while Labbe was 3-for-4 with two RBIs, and Guard was 2-for-3 with a RBI. In their second matchup of the week, the Bulldogs faced Coyle Cassidy and accomplished a 10-5 victory. Soares struck out eight and only allowed four hits with two walks. The senior captain, Labbe, led the team by going 4-for-4 with five RBIs. Hubbard went 3-for-4 with a RBI and Guard was consistent, going 2-for-3 with an RBI. The Bulldogs also played Wareham and won 2-0. The game remained scoreless through six innings until Hubbard hit a double and Labbe followed with a single. These hits plated both the game’s runs. Hubbard, Labbe, and Soares all were 2-for-3. Soares struck out 11 and gave up four hits and two walks.

            Girls’ Lacrosse: The Lady Bulldogs stay perfect after three games this past week. Old Rochester opened up their week with a 22-1 win over Dighton Rehoboth. Mackenzie Good led the way with five goals. Ali Hulsebosch and Madison Cooney both had three goals and three assists and Emily Hiller had three goals. Avery O’Brien-Nichols and Catherine Tracy had two while Tayler Lee, Molly Lanagan, Ariane Dias, Danielle Craig, Alexa Costa, Diana LaRock, and Jenna Aruri each added one. Two days later, the Bulldogs played Dighton Rehoboth away on their senior night and triumphed 19-1. Cooney was the leading goal scorer with five goals. Not far off was Hulsebosch with four goals and three assists and Hiller with three goals and an assist. O’Brien-Nichols stayed consistent and contributed two while Tracy, Dias, Caitlyn King, Sarah Moitozo, and Alex Fluegel all notched one. In their most recent victory, the Bulldogs faced New Bedford Voc Tech and won 22-4. Tracy paved the way with six goals and Cooney contributed four. Hulsebosch had three goals with seven assists. Hiller, Lee, and Dias had two goals each combined with a goal apiece from Megan Shay, Good, O’Brian-Nichols, and Maddie Demanche. The Bulldogs dominated the game against Barnstable by winning 21-11. Hulsebosch led the scoring with five goals. Midfielders Shea and Cooney added four each, while Hiller contributed three and Lee added two. Tracy, Ciffolillo, and O’Brian-Nichols added one a piece. In net, sophomore goalkeeper, Gates Tenerowicz, had 13 saves. In their most recent matchup, Old Rochester had their first loss of the season against Sandwich 14-12. Hiller carried the team in goals with four, but Ciffolillo was not far behind with three goals. Cooney and Hulsebosch each had two goals, and Hulsebosch added three assists. Tracy added one. Unfortunately, Sandwich’s solid offense made it past the Bulldogs defense and led them to a victory. Old Rochester is now 16-1 on the season.

By Alexandra Hulsebosch

 

Volunteers Wanted for Moving Wall

on

With no appointments scheduled on the agenda, the Rochester Board of Selectmen breezed through its May 22 pre-town meeting BOS meeting with an appointment to the Conservation Commission and a memo from the Tri-Town’s veterans agent pertaining to Wareham’s hosting of the Vietnam War Moving Wall in August.

Veterans Agent Jo-Ann O’Malley announced that the Wareham Veterans Council is seeking volunteers to provide support to various tables that will be set up showcasing photographs and memorabilia from the Vietnam War.

O’Malley said veterans and non-veterans alike are welcome to donate their time during the Moving Wall’s stay in Wareham, and any interested parties should contact Jo-Ann O’Malley at the Mattapoisett Town Hall at 508-758-4100 ext. 212.

Also during the meeting, the selectmen appointed Margot Paine to the Conservation Commission.

Due to the Memorial Day holiday, the next meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen is scheduled for June 5 at 6:30 pm at the Rochester Town Hall.

Rochester Board of Selectmen

By Jean Perry

 

Mattapoisett Historical Society Yard Sale

on

The Mattapoisett Historical Society will hold a yard sale on Baptist Street in Mattapoisett on Saturday, June 10 starting at 8:00 am and ending at 11:00 am. There will be a variety of items for sale: ceramics, antique irons, furniture, games, Presto Press, etc. Come buy a treasure and support the Mattapoisett Historical Society.

Rochester Boat Racing Viewing Spots

on

The Rochester Land Trust invites you to view the Memorial Day Boat Race from a viewing spot on one of its properties along the Mattapoisett River. The Church’s Field River Trail at approximately 101 Mattapoisett Road leads to Church’s Falls, a wide open-area, where watchers can sit on one of several riverside benches and see the racers as they pass by the site of the historic Church Mill. Access is a fairly easy ½ mile walk on a well-maintained trail with plank bridges spanning potential wet areas.

The Shoolman Preserve at 200 New Bedford Road offers two more secluded spots to view the race, which require passing through wet areas along the trails as you get close to the river. These viewing spots are smaller than at Church, but there are small benches right on the riverside. Twenty-seven species of birds were heard and or seen on a recent birding walk along the Shoolman trails.