St. Philip’s Episcopal Church

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On Sunday, September 1, St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, next to the Mattapoisett Town Beach, will conclude its 140th Summer Season of visiting clergy with services at 8:00 am and 10:00 am, using the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.

            Long-time visiting priest, The Rev. Jeffrey Paull Cave, Retired, Diocese of Atlanta, GA will conduct the services. Then at 4:00 pm, The Rev. Cave will be joined by The Rev. Benjamin Straley, Rector, St. Stephen’s Church, Providence, RI for an old fashioned, informal Hymn Sing.

            Hymns are introduced along with their history and background, and requests for congregation favorites are also encouraged. The Rev. Straley was the organist at the Washington National Cathedral prior to joining the priesthood. All are welcome to attend.

Fall into the Rhythm with Big Music at the MAC

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The Marion Art Center is pleased to present a full roster of musical talent this autumn. Tickets for all events are available at marionartcenter.org/events. The MAC is located at 80 Pleasant Street, Marion.

            Don’t miss Jazz Jam @ the MAC on Friday, August 30 starting at 7:00 pm in the MAC’s Anne Braitmayer Webb Theater. Be part of the long tradition of the jazz jam session complete with participation from community musicians. Our house band – Matt Richard on piano, Dave Zinno on bass, and Gary Johnson on drums – will support the improvisers as they interpret many “jazz standards” in various style formats. Learn about the inner workings of a jam session as trombonist Phil Sanborn leads a question-and-answer session and explains how the songs are structured and how the “road map” for each selection helps the improvisers. The cost to attend is $20 for MAC Members, $25 Nonmembers and free for participating musicians (donations gladly accepted).

            Our popular Unplugged in the MAC Gallery series continues on Friday, September 13 with house regular pianist Matt Richard and the exceptional trombone skills of Dr. Michael Rocha. Our informal series invites you to sit back, relax and ease into the weekend. With limited seating, early registration is strongly recommended. Tickets are just $12 for MAC members and $15 for nonmembers. There will be two separate performances during the night (7:00 pm and 8:15 pm), and each set will last about 45 minutes. Find a spot at a cabaret table to listen to a mix of jazz standards and original compositions by both artists. Guests will enjoy a refreshing setting at this “unplugged” performance featuring mainly acoustic sound, without the volume and density often experienced during larger concerts in the MAC Theater.

            For our fall Unplugged series and selected events, we’ve partnered with Savor the Spread, a local business specializing in custom charcuterie boxes. Our patrons can add on a personal charcuterie box which will be delivered to them at the performance. Boxes contain crackers, cheese, fruit, nuts, and cured meats. We offer the following options: 1-person appetizer box: $16, 2-person appetizer box: $23, 4-person box: $40. Add-on boxes can be selected with event tickets at marionartcenter.org/events.

            Merrick Brannigan returns to the MAC Theater stage on Friday, September 20 at 7:30 pm for his first ever EP release concert, featuring guest musician Putnam Murdock. Brannigan is a 16-year-old singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Over the past year, he recorded original music at Grand Street Recording in Brooklyn, NY, and released his debut singles “The Reason” and “The Breeze” in 2024. In addition, he often performs with his longtime friend Cole Corper on Nantucket Island and in New York City. They have played together for nearly three years with undeniable chemistry, adopting an indie-folk style and writing many songs as a duo. A special ticket price of just $10 is available for students 18 and under, while MAC member tickets are $20 and nonmember tickets are $25. View more at marionartcenter.org/events.

            Another Unplugged event is scheduled Friday, November 15 with Donn Legg and Marcus Monteiro. Tickets are just $12 for MAC members and $15 for nonmembers (marionartcenter.org/events).

            Legge is a busy performer on the South Coast of Massachusetts. He can be seen playing with Blues Train, South Coast Jazz Orchestra, Patrice Tiedmann’s Seaglass Theater, Dori Rubbicco, NB Rude Boys, and Kareem Sanjaghi on Cape Cod. Donn was featured in a duo with jazz pianist Matt Richard at the first Unplugged at the MAC in April of 2023.

            Praised as being a “force to be reckoned with” by Shaquille O’Neal, saxophonist Marcus Monteiro continues to impress his audience with intensity, interpretation, and consummate improvisational skills. In recent years, Marcus has shared the stage with The O’Jays, The Rebirth Brass Band, George Clinton, Tavares, and Cirque du Soleil among many others. Marcus has also traveled throughout the world performing in festivals in Cape Verde, Guatemala, Panama, Indonesia, Canada, and countless others throughout the United States.

            Stay tuned for more Music at the MAC, including Putnam Murdock and Friends on Saturday, November 2, plus the presentation of a silent film, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, scored and performed by musician Jeff Angeley (cello, accordion, guitar, and mandolin) and emerging musician Leon Stanley (violin) of Marion, on Saturday, November 16. View all events at marionartcenter.org/events.

Machacam Club

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The first meeting of the Machacam Club 2024/2025 season is scheduled for Wednesday September 4. We meet at the American Legion Hall on Depot Street. Social time begins at 5 pm followed by dinner at 6 pm. Our speaker will be introduced at 6:40 pm. Chef Colby is planning another satisfying meal. Callers, please transmit your counts by 9 pm Monday, September 2. Please submit inquiries to cwmccullough@comcast.net.

Self-storage Approved at Lockheed Site

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Following a brief public hearing on Monday, the Marion Planning Board approved a request from Sippican Holdings LLC to allow construction of self-storage units in an existing building on its property at 13 Barnabas Road, site of the former Lockheed Martin property.

            Developer representative John Collins shared plans for the project, which will include approximately 200 interior units ranging in size from 5×10 square feet to 10×20 square feet each. There will be no exterior units. Ten parking spaces are included in the plan to allow user access.

            In Collins’ experience, storage users tend to “leave stuff and not return frequently,” so traffic is not expected to be a problem. Board member Dale Jones concurred, offering that it’s a “good, clean, in-and-out operation.”

            The proposal required a Special Permit to allow a change in use for Building 2.5 from Industrial Use (Light Manufacturing/Assembly) to Service Use (General Service Establishment) under the town’s zoning bylaws. As the electric work and paving are already in place, only minor site-plan review is required.

            Motion to approve the permit to allow the change in use was approved unanimously.

            A continued public hearing of the same applicant’s prior proposal to construct a two-story building for the same purpose at the former Lockheed Martin site was continued indefinitely at the applicant’s request.

            During the Community Outreach segment of the meeting, Select Board member Randy Parker spoke on newly enacted state legislation affecting housing bylaws, particularly rules around Accessory Dwelling Units or ADU’s.

            He proposed that the Select Board, Planning Board and Town Counsel work together to develop the information for the public. Board members agreed and discussed offering an educational forum with participation of Affordable Housing Trust and others in a setting such as the Music Hall, with the goal of helping residents understand the details and impact of the changes and take advantage of them as appropriate. It could also be recorded on ORCTV for ongoing reference.

            The Planning Board agreed to pursue this approach and discuss further. The document will be sent to committee members. Details are available in “Zoning Act Reforms in Housing Bond Bill of 2024,” which Parker brought to the meeting and is available on the Mass.gov website.

            Also during Community Outreach, Board Clerk Eileen Marum read aloud a letter she wrote to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation outlining traffic and highway-safety concerns. The board had previously scheduled communication with DOT on this issue for discussion at its September 16 meeting and will continue with that agenda.

            Minutes from the August 5, 2024 meeting prompted discussion on how to handle certain particulars. Chairman Andrew Daniel requested that selected rewritten paragraphs be reviewed at the board’s next meeting.

            The next meeting of the Marion Planning Board is scheduled for Tuesday, September 3, at 7:00 pm at the Police Station on Route 6.

Marion Planning Board

By Mary McCann Fiske

Getting The Most out of A Doctor Visit

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            By now, most of us are all too aware that the doctor visit is becoming shorter and that the doctor seems to interact more with the computer than with you. It is frustrating to leave a visit that may have been made months in advance with your questions unanswered.

            How can you get the most out of a medical appointment? The key is preparation.

            Before you set out, you should have made sure that you have the correct date and time, that the doctor is on your insurance plan and that if you need a referral, you have it.

            Leave enough time to get there even if traffic backs up. Yes, you will probably have to wait, so bring a magazine.

            If this is a new doctor, bring a list of all medicines you are taking, any medication allergies you have, major family history, recent test results and surgeries and hospitalizations you have had.

            Key to a satisfactory visit is to know what you want from it. If you are scheduled for a follow-up of chronic health problems but you have a new symptom that worries you, get that out up front and not when the doctor has their hand on the door.

            Bring notes and take notes. Have a written list of things you want to discuss in the order of priority you want to cover them.

            It has been repeatedly found that most of what a doctor tells you is forgotten by the time you get to your car, so take notes of what you are being told. Doctors tend to slip into medical jargon, so do not hesitate to ask that they repeat something you do not fully understand.

            It is very helpful to have a close friend or family member with you to act as a second set of eyes and ears, but be sure they understand what you want them to do and do not let them take over the visit. (Speaking of ears, if you need hearing aids, be sure to have them in for the visit!)

            Be honest with your doctor. They have seen and heard it all, so any habits you have of which you are not proud, be up-front. Keeping secrets is not going to get you optimal care.

            At the end of a visit, tell the doctor what you understood them to say and what is planned. It is rare that a problem is solved at one visit, so be clear in your mind if further testing is needed as well as what you should do if things do not go as expected. Be sure you know what to do before you leave.

            If you are not comfortable with what you are told, do not hesitate to ask for a second opinion. This should not be threatening to a good doctor. In the case of a serious diagnosis, second opinions often change the diagnosis and/or the treatment.

            Edward Hoffer MD is Associate Professor of Medicine, part-time, at Harvard.

What Does The Doctor Say?

By Dr. Edward Hoffer

Myriol B. (King) Beauseigneur

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Myriol B. (King) Beauseigneur, age 87, of Fairhaven, formerly of Kissimmee, FL and Paramus, NJ passed away peacefully on Tuesday, August 20, 2024, after a period of declining health. Myriol was married to her soul mate of 53 years, Emil Beauseigneur until his passing of Alzheimer’s in 2014.

            Born and raised in The Bronx, NY, Myriol and her husband lived the majority of their life in Paramus, New Jersey, where together they raised 5 children. Upon retiring, she and her husband relocated to Florida, where they enjoyed their golden years together. After the death of her husband, Myriol moved to Atria Assisted Living to be closer to her daughter. There she flourished and had many friends.

            Myriol’s memory will be cherished by her five children, Robert Noye, Emil Beauseigneur Jr. and his wife Kerry, Diann Beauseigneur, Louise Beauseigneur, and Myriol Saunders and her husband William. She also leaves behind her loving siblings, Diann Keyes, Gary King, and Dana King; as well as her adored grandchildren, Henry Emil Nordhagen, William Saunders Jr. and his wife Casey, Timothy Saunders, Lily Belle Beauseigneur, Emil Beauseigneur III, Justin Santos, and Brendan Noye.

            Myriol was the daughter of the late Kendrick and Barbara (Murphy) King.

            Her family and friends will always remember her as a strong, caring individual with a love for fashion, Bingo and house plants.

            The Family would like to thank Alden Court Nursing Home and their nursing staff for their exceptional care and compassion.

            A private family service will be held to honor Myriol’s life. The family kindly request donations be made to the Alzheimers Association. For online guestbook please visit www.saundersdwyer.com

From the Files of the Rochester Historical Society

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Recently, I found an undated article, “New England Hurricanes”. I planned to write about all the storms that made their presence known to our coast in the months of August or September. But, then I came across a 1950 hurricane named Dog and the focus of this article shifted.

            Dog was a category 5 storm that reached up to185 miles per hour. Fortunately, it did not make landfall on the east coast. The storm did cause widespread power outages along the Cape, and the deaths of up to12 fishermen and $3,000,000 worth of damages were recorded in that area. However, in our area there was only light to moderate rainfall of 1 to 5 inches and like with the current Hurricane Ernesto, there were rough seas along the beaches.

            Hurricane Dog holds the record for the longest category 5 Atlantic hurricane as it lasted at that level for 60 hours, but what interested me more was its name. First, I thought it might be a typo of either Doug or Dot, but that wouldn’t gibe with what I thought I knew about the naming of hurricanes.

            I knew that from the first recorded hurricanes in the 17th century up to the mid-1900s, these storms were designated by the year in which they occurred. I knew that women’s names were substituted for the dates and that for many years all storms were named for women. What I didn’t know about was the use of animal names.

            A bit of research set me straight. Hurricanes were named for women beginning in 1953. In 1978, male names were added. However, from 1950 through 1952, Atlantic hurricanes were named using the joint Army/Navy Phonetic Alphabet. You know- Abel, Baker, Charlie and yes, Dog.

            Each year, tropical storms are named in alphabetical order (using both male and female names) when they develop sustained wind speeds of more than 33 knots. The names on the list can be reused after six years unless the hurricanes were extreme like Carol, Camille or Katrina. There are quite a lot of names on the do not reuse list. At first, I was going to list them but there far too many, including a Hurricane Connie.

            So, now I know why there was a Hurricane Dog, and it’s not because a weatherman had a much beloved pet poodle and as always, I’m happy to share this historical tidbit with you. Hopefully, we’ll be able to look back this December when hurricane season closes to a year with no major hurricanes landing on our coast.

By Connie Eshbach

Mattapoisett Congregational Church Yard Sale

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On Saturday, September 7 from 9 am to 1 pm, the Mattapoisett Congregational Church will once again host their annual yard sale in Reynard Hall, rain or shine.

            Lots of great items will be available, including home furnishings, housewares, collectibles, sports equipment, books, small furniture, toys and games, as well as new handmade crafts, jewelry and jewelry-making supplies and yummy baked goods. You are sure to find so many more treasures.

            Cash and checks accepted. All proceeds will benefit the ministries of the Mattapoisett Congregational Church.

Bidstrup Honored by SHS

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In gratitude for her community building and outreach, the Sippican Historical Society (SHS) recognized Wendy Bidstrup with the 2024 Award for Distinguished Community Service. SHS honored Bidstrup at their Annual Meeting and commemorated her work with a new coral maple tree planted near the Elizabeth Taber statue in Marion’s Bicentennial Park.

            Arriving in Marion in the 1960s, Bidstrup dutifully took on the volunteer responsibilities of a “faculty wife.” The Wells College graduate majored in art history and also volunteered at the newly formed Marion Art Center, serving on the exhibition committee and president before becoming its Executive Director for 25 years.

            Of her time at the Marion Art Center, Wendy says, “It was magic – I loved it. Good things happened all the time.”

            Bidstrup became the leading expert on the work of Cecil Clark Davis (1877 – 1955), whose portraits once provided inspiration for students at Tabor Academy and currently grace the walls of the Marion Art Center, private homes, the Sippican Historical Society and the Marion Music Hall. Thanks to her meticulous research, she wrote a biography and cataloged Clark’s more than 500 portraits.

            Since retiring, Bidstrup has volunteered at the Sippican Historical Society, joined the Marion Garden Group and enjoys helping with various Marion projects. Bidstrup wrote and presented a lecture about Elizabeth Taber for several Marion organizations and in 2020 contributed her knowledge to the Elizabeth Taber Statue project.

            Inside the SHS Museum, Bidstrup’s name appears with others who received the award since its inception in 1999. You can read more about Bidstrup and other award winners at sippicanhistoricalsociety.org/about/annual-awards/.

R20 Setbacks Won’t Fly

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During the August 15 meeting of the Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals, Eric Lawrence of 4 Beacon Street came before the board requesting that R20 setbacks be allowed for 0 Foster Street versus current zoning for R30.

            In his presentation, he advanced that idea of granting a zoning-status change in order to build a new, single-family home. He said that by granting an R20 status for the subdivision of a two-lot parcel, encroachment into wetlands, described as substantial throughout the property, could be avoided.

            ZBA member Aaron Goldberg questioned the necessity of granting a Special Permit for the project when the applicant could simply move 10,000 square feet to the lot in question, thereby making its status an R30, which requires no special permitting or status change.

            There was considerable dialog on how Lawrence could divide the property and accomplish compliance without requesting the R20 designation, which the board was not disposed to grant. That resulted in the request being withdrawn without prejudice.

            Also coming before the board was Christian Farland for property located on Martha’s Vineyard Drive. He sought and received a Variance from rear setbacks.

            Eric Dyson, 14 Marion Road, received a Special Permit for expansion of an allowable In-Law Apartment to accommodate the installation of an exercise space in combination with the allowable 700 square feet for the apartment.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals is scheduled for Thursday, September 19, at 7:00 pm.

Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals

By Marilou Newell