Schools Highlight Points of Pride in Test Results

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Not all of the PARCC exam results are out yet, but MCAS and the science portion of the 2015 PARCC results were discussed during the November 19 meeting of the Joint School Committee, with the principals from each of the five schools giving a brief overview of their school’s performance.

Sippican School fifth graders scored 11 percent higher than the state average in the advanced and proficient categories in the science MCAS. Principal Lyn Rivet said she was especially pleased that the fifth graders performed well on the majority of Physical Science questions as well as Life Science.

At Old Hammondtown School, Principal Rose Bowman was happy to report that Mattapoisett fifth graders scored 12 percent higher than the state average for Earth and Space Science/The Earth in the Solar System. Mattapoisett, said Bowman, scored highest in Life Sciences and Characteristics of Plants and Animals questions, where 94 percent of students answered them correctly.

At Rochester Memorial School, Principal Derek Medeiros was happy that RMS students also scored higher than the state average, by 10 percent, in the advanced and proficient categories. They performed best in questions pertaining to Technology/Engineering, outperforming the state by 13 points. They also outperformed the state average by 12 points in Earth and Space Sciences questions.

Medeiros said the RMS students are benefitting from the use of Chromebooks in the curriculum, which they use during their science block.

Grade 8 MCAS Science data reflected a 52 percent proficiency level, soaring above the 39 percent state proficiency average. ORRJHS Principal Kevin Brogioli said he was pleased with the upward trend in MCAS Science scores, which have increased since 2013 when the school was one percent above the state average, climbing to 6 percent above in 2014 and 11 percent above in 2015. Students scored the highest in the open response questions.

“What we’re most proud of is this uphill average,” said Brogioli. “I like the upward trend.”

At the high school, Principal Michael Devoll gave the results of the entire MCAS exam taken by high school students last year – high school did not participate in PARCC – and pointed out that in ELA, the school moved from a 47 percent advanced scoring to a 53 percent, and the advanced/proficient category increased from 94 percent to 98 percent. Failures went down, from 3 to 1 percent.

Devoll said there is only one school in ORR’s cohort that scored higher than ORR.

In Math, advanced went up from 56 to 63 percent, and the advanced/proficient category went up by two more points, up to 89 percent. Failures were reduced from 5 to 3 percent.

In Science, advanced/proficient rose from 56 percent to 63 percent, and failures reduced from 3 to 1 percent.

“We’re moving high numbers in the right direction and reducing our failures,” said Devoll. “I only expect our scores to continue to rise….”

The next meeting of The Joint School Committee is scheduled for January 21 at 6:30 pm in the ORRJHS media room.

By Jean Perry

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Cultivating the Creative Spirit

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When one walks down the art hallway at Old Rochester Regional High School, the art on the walls hangs proudly, allowing everyone to admire the skills of their peers. Currently, black and white portraits smile warmly at students who shuffle to their math-wing classes.

Last week, two of these outstanding artists were selected to be featured in an exhibition at the Dedee Shattuck Gallery in Westport, Massachusetts. The exhibition was titled “Cultivating the Creative Spirit,” and it showcased the artwork of high school students from Old Rochester, as well as artwork from students at Dartmouth High School, Durfee High School, Fairhaven High School, Greater New Bedford Voc Tech, and Tiverton High School.

Elizabeth Davis and Madeline Morris were selected to display their artwork at the gallery. Davis’ piece was a skeleton created with markers and water, to create a watercolor effect. Morris’ piece began as an assignment for art class, and Prismacolor colored pencils were used to create a life-like recreation of a chicken head.

The exhibit at the Dedee Shattuck Gallery was set in the center of the already existing exhibit, which meant the emerging artists’ artwork was front and center, quite literally. As Old Rochester Art Department teacher Joanne Mogilnicki said, “Up and coming artists are mentored and celebrated by the art that’s already on the walls from professional artists.”

Being selected to display artwork for this event was not easy. Hopeful participants submitted artwork to Mogilnicki, who then selected Davis and Morris as the most appropriate representation of the skills of Old Rochester students. Davis and Morris were then asked to select the artwork that they felt was the best portrayal of their skills, and that art was sent to a board of judges at the Dedee Shattuck Gallery to be approved or rejected. Both students were approved by the panel and were allowed to display their work for the event.

The environment of the event was very supportive of the up-and-coming artists, as Mogilnicki pointed out.

“A lot of the work on the walls had red dots [sold stickers] on them, so you could see that people actually support artists and buy work and bring it home and hang it,” said Mogilnicki. “So there’s this whole culture out there that people don’t necessarily know about unless they’re actively involved in it, and that’s viewing art, appreciating art, and having art around you when it’s possible … being around other high school student artists, and seeing their work.” She continued, “It gives you a perspective of what’s out there amongst other students or people their age that are involved in making and are interested in the arts.”

As for Morris and Davis, they enjoy the art class at Old Rochester, as it challenges artists to discover their strong suits.

“We get to experiment and dabble in different media,” said Morris. “Sometimes she’ll [Mogilnicki] have challenging projects that maybe you don’t necessarily like to do, but it helps you grow to see what you’re good at and what you need improvement in.”

“She [Mogilnicki] likes us to be really open, so everyone can do what they want,” Davis said. “We have people that do fashion design and some people that do prints and stuff, but she likes us to do different things sometimes.”

With such a large amount of possible mediums available, Davis and Morris have been able to discover a few favorites to work with.

“I really like using paints, but in weird ways” said Davis, to which Morris immediately responded, “And I really hate paints because I’m terrible at them. I like to use colored pencils and charcoal, that kind of thing.”

This artistic diversity was showcased at the exhibit, in the artwork from the high schoolers and the professional artwork that regularly hangs on the walls of the Dedee Shattuck.

As a final piece of advice, Morris invites growing artists to expand upon their talents the way she did.

“Even the things you look at from last year, you’re like, ‘Why would I do that, it looks terrible?’ But we just drew all the time,” said Morris. “That’s how I got better. I just drew, and even though it was really bad, I still continued to draw.”

As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. Or, more appropriately for Davis and Morris, practice makes an exhibition at the Dedee Shattuck.

By Sienna Wurl

Bulldog

Sean Michael Perry

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Sean Michael Perry, 39, of Mattapoisett, died suddenly November 23, 2015. He graduated from Old Rochester Regional High School, obtained an Associate’s degree in Culinary Arts/Chef Training from Bristol Community College, and a Bachelor’s degree in Biology with Honors from UMass Dartmouth. Sean worked in Amsterdam, Netherlands for one year at the laboratory of Christiaan Levelt,, PhD at the Opthalmic Research Institute (now the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience). For 16 years, he worked in the laboratory of the Nobel Laureate Susumu Tonegawa at the Picower Institute for Learning & Memory at MIT, in Cambridge. As a senior lab member, he was relied on for expert knowledge on a wide range of subjects: including IT support and data management, immunohistochemistry, molecular biology, imaging and microscopy, animal handling and management. Sean also had the rare gift of having patience without bounds, and being able to teach and coach others regardless of their age or past experience. He was responsible for training all new lab members in fundamental skills, and lab alumni from around the world would defer to him for advice.

Sean also enjoyed and exceled in a wide variety of pursuits outside of work, including power boating, sailing, and fishing. In his first year in the North Atlantic Shark Fishing Tournament, he was on the team of the Beagle, which came in first place. He was also an accomplished competitive marksman in the New England area, placing in the top five in two separate competitions this past year. Sean was a former on call firefighter in Mattapoisett, and plowed snow for the Mattapoisett Highway Department. His other pastimes included photography, playing piano, working with animals, welding and metal sculpting. Sean was a humble and self-taught master of all trades. If you had a question – and many people did, from cooking to DIY construction projects – Sean always had an in-depth answer.

Sean is remembered as a kind and gentle soul by his parents Diane and Dennis Perry; sister Laura Perry; co-worker, cousin, and dear friend Candy Carr; godparents Kathy Carr and David Perry; mentor and uncle Andy Carr; and an extended family of aunts, uncles, and cousins around the country. He was a true and loyal friend to many throughout his life.

Family and friends will be received on Friday, Dec. 4, from 4 to 8 PM at the Saunders Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Route 6, Mattapoisett. A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday Dec. 5 at 9:30 at the Funeral Home, with burial following in Cushing Cemetery. Remembrances may be made in Sean’s name to a charity of your choice. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

Rochester TA Seeking Fairhaven Position

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Rochester Town Administrator Michael McCue is currently one of three final candidates selected by a Fairhaven subcommittee to fill the position as Fairhaven’s very first town administrator.

The Rochester Board of Selectmen hired McCue in August of 2014 after town administrator of seven plus years Richard LaCamera retired. McCue was the town administrator of the Town of Avon at the time, and selectmen commented last year that McCue’s background in working with a small town like Rochester, with a population of about 5,200 people, was an attractive quality.

“The Fairhaven opportunity is a chance for further professional development,” said McCue on November 24.

Fairhaven, with a population of just less than 16,000, triple the size of Rochester, is in the process of switching its current position of executive secretary to the selectmen to a town administrator, the first for the town.

McCue was also recently a final candidate for the town administrator position of the Town of Attleboro, but was ultimately not selected for the position.

“The candidacy in North Attleboro was based on the proximity to my home,” said McCue. “It was literally a ten minute drive.” He added that the short commute for McCue, who resides in Mansfield, would have had a positive impact on his family.

Selectman Naida Parker said on November 24 that she was disappointed when McCue first informed selectmen a couple of months ago that he was looking elsewhere for another town administrator position that would further his career.

“I do appreciate the fact that he has given us a heads up,” said Parker. “Rochester’s a really small town. I don’t know if it offers the challenge or the opportunity to move up.”

Parker said she and many who work in the town would miss McCue’s presence should he leave Rochester, and she is happy working with him, she added.

“A number of these positions have come up recently,” Parker said. “Sometimes the timing of things are in such a way… Who knows if another will open up, sometimes not for twenty years or so…”

The Fairhaven Board of Selectmen will hold interviews for the three candidates during a scheduled public meeting on December 5 before making a final decision.

“I truly enjoy working in Rochester and this is not an exercise based on my wishing to leave at all,” McCue said.

By Jean Perry

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Upper Cape Tech Open House

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Administrators, faculty and current students welcomed nearly 400 prospective freshman students and their families into the school last week for an evening filled with interactive demonstrations of the various technical offerings for students from the towns of Bourne, Falmouth, Marion, Sandwich and Wareham. The 1,300 visitors in attendance were able to explore activities in several areas. For example, in Automotive Technology there was a simulation of a motor vehicle accident in which the airbags were deployed. In Engineering Technology, an area of the shop was sectioned off for robots while a submersible remotely-operated vehicle was functioning in a test tank. Students prepared Bananas Foster and several other desserts in the Culinary Arts kitchen, while hair styling demonstrations and beauty and fashion tips were offered in the newly-renovated Cosmetology salon. In the Carpentry shop, there was a mockup of a shed and porch where students were installing side walling, shingles, and trim.

Roger D. Forget, Assistant Superintendent / Principal of Upper Cape Tech, stated that “it was amazing to see our current students actively engaged with prospective students demonstrating with pride the skills they have learned in their technical areas while at Upper Cape Tech.”

In addition to the technical demonstrations, the eighth-grade students were able to get a realistic picture of what it might be like to be a freshman at Upper Cape Tech. Sessions were offered on the admissions process, freshman exploratory program, cooperative employment program, academic offerings, extra-curricular activities, and college and career planning.

Students interested in applying for admission to Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School for the fall of 2016 should apply online at apply.uppercapetech.org.

ZBA Closed For The Holidays

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With only one public hearing scheduled before the Thanksgiving holiday, the Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals conducted business on November 19. The applicant Dwight Smith of Wakefield would not have to wait until after the New Year to learn the disposition of his request.

Represented by David Davignon of N. Douglas Schneider & Associates of Mattapoisett, Smith’s application was for a Special Permit to recognize and allow set-backs from pre-1973, when zoning bylaws were modified. Smith plans to build an 8-foot by 21-foot addition to property located at 6 Winwood Way. The original home was constructed in 1949, Davignon said.

Director of Inspectional Services Andy Bobola told the board members that the request was a “very simple application regarding set-backs on one side.”

It took less than ten minutes from beginning to end for the application to receive a unanimous vote.

Historically, the Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals does not meet in December. With that in mind, the ZBA members elected to hold a November meeting for the one agenda item rather than postponing the Smith hearing until January.

The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Zoning Board of Appeals is scheduled for January 21, 2016 at 6:00 pm in the Mattapoisett Town Hall conference room, pending receipt of applications.

By Marilou Newell

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MOSAC Chair Baffled by ConCom’s Inaction

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Improving the hydraulic controls at Grassi Bog since the system failed and flooded during the spring of this year has been a slow process and was further halted on November 18 by the Marion Conservation Commission as a result of its own engineer’s written comments on some perceived inconsistencies in the improvement plan. And when the ConCom refused to take a look at the plan to compare it with the engineer’s report, Marion Open Space Acquisition Committee Chairman and wetlands specialist John Rockwell let his frustration show.

The plan essentially calls for an increase in the size of the rock spillways (bigger boulders), and a larger arched culvert. However, the report from Matthew Pitta and Michael Guidice of CDM Smith cited three of what they considered deficiencies, which Rockwell addressed and explained for the commission. He said he was “mystified” by the three comments.

First, the engineers observed that the first two interior spillways appeared to be reversed, “with the downstream spillway having a higher crest elevation than the upstream spillway.”

False, according to Rockwell. “I believe that’s incorrect,” Rockwell stated. “I just looked at the plans and that’s not the case…. The first observation is incorrect.”

Second, the report states that the plan lacks a specified slope of the effluent culvert, “though the intent may be for the culvert to lay flat; if so it should be called out on the plans,” reads the report. It further states that there are also no details regarding excavation and backfill for the culvert installation.

“The exit culvert doesn’t have a specified slope … it’s flat, that’s why,” said Rockwell.

Next, Rockwell said, the third observation that says no crest elevation was shown on the plan for the weir upstream of the effluent culvert is true; however, he said there is a note on the plan that says the crest elevation would remain the same as the original plan, approved by ConCom some years ago.

“These comments don’t make sense,” said Rockwell.

Although the items are relatively minor, noted Chairman Norm Hills, he wanted the engineer who drafted the plans to come to an understanding with CDM Smith before moving forward.

“But the fact that this plan, the new plan, doesn’t have the elevation, I mean, this was going to be the new plan of record,” said Hills. “You shouldn’t have to go back to the old plan.”

Rockwell warned the commission that the damaged spillway would likely fail again during the winter if action is not taken, and asked if the commission would look at the plan to address CDM Smith’s comments, avoiding further delay of the project.

“I don’t want to do it here,” said Hills.

“Well, that’s the purpose of the public hearing,” said Rockwell.

ConCom member Joel Hartley asked Rockwell if he was an engineer, qualified to assess the project plan.

“I can read a plan, can’t you?” Rockwell replied.

“It’s dueling engineers is what we’ve got here,” said Hills. “We want them to at least talk to each other.”

“Well, can I at least get you to look at the plan?” Rockwell asked again.

“I don’t want to do that right now,” said Hills.

“Well, you read plans all the time,” Rockwell said.

The two went back and forth and soon the other commission members were vocally supporting the chairman.

“We hired an expert opinion and you’re telling us the expert opinion is wrong?” said Hartley.

“It’s a failure on CDM’s part and you’re holding up a town project,” said Rockwell. “Just look at the plan! Just look at the plan yourself and you’ll see that the engineer is wrong.”

Hills proposed continuing the hearing until December 9, and the commission voted in favor.

“I just don’t understand why you won’t just look at the plan,” said Rockwell, “and you’re refusing to do it and I’m sorry for that.”

Also during the meeting, despite having met the requirements of his Notice of Intent, the commission initially refrained from taking action on the Shea Doonan aquaculture farm off Ram Island until selectmen approved the project. Now with selectmen approval, the commission issued the Order of Conditions for Doonan in a 4-1 vote. Commission member Cynthia Trinidad voted ‘nay,’ just as she promised a fortnight ago.

Even with ConCom approval, Doonan still needs approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and various state entities such as the Division of Marine Fisheries and the Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program before the matter bounces back to selectmen for the final say.

The commission’s list of special conditions stipulated that the OOC would be void should one or more of the aforementioned authorities deny the project; the project, however, would already die should it be rejected because of eelgrass or a number of other reasons, regardless of ConCom approval.

“I’m not convinced that putting a condition on it will help,” said Trinidad earlier in the discussion over conditions.

‘Help?’ What do you mean, help? asked Doonan. “What kind [of help] are you looking for?”

Trinidad repeated the sentiment she spoke at the last meeting, saying she finds Doonan “lackadaisical” in his approach to the project, especially in communication with Ram Island residents. She then pressed Doonan to specify where he would buy his seed oysters, repeatedly asking the question when Doonan said he had not yet officially chosen a source.

How do I know you’re not going to fly the oysters in from Japan and poison the harbor, asked Trinidad.

“That’s unfair. This is my harbor too; I’m not going to poison it…. I’m just going to leave it there,” said Doonan perplexedly. He did add, though, that the family business is shellfishing and he had been immersed in the activity since he was ten. He said, of course he would be getting them from a Massachusetts certified hatchery.

Okay, said Trinidad turning up the volume of her voice, but where are you going to get the oysters? “Give me a name…’Pile of Seafood,’ I don’t know… I don’t care…”

“Okay, ‘Pile of Seafood’ then,” said Doonan.

Chairman Norm Hills entertained a motion to close the hearing, and Doonan left the meeting.

In other matters, the commission issued a Negative 2 determination (Notice of Intent not required) to Harold Wildman of 7 Blackhall Court to rebuild an existing deck and previously existing staircase after-the-fact.

The next meeting of the Marion Conservation Commission is scheduled for December 9 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Town House.

By Jean Perry

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ORRHS Term 1 Principal’s Honor Roll

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The following students have achieved honors for the first term at Old Rochester Regional High School:

Highest Honors, Grade 9: Emma Blouin, Julia Cabral, Ian Friedrichs, Sydney Green, Genevieve Grignetti, Daniel Hartley, Amelia Isabelle, Rosemary Loer, Michaela Mattson, Claire Noble Shriver, Vanessa Ortega, Harrison Riley, Gates Tenerowicz, Lily Youngberg; Grade 10: Erin Burke, Collin Fitzpatrick, Sophie Johnson, Julia Melloni, Lindsey Merolla, Sam Pasquill, Jahn Pothier, Nicole Sullivan; Grade 11: Hannah Guard, Louise Vis; Grade 12: Julianna Bernardi, Serena Jaskolka, Jane Kassabian, Edward Krawczyk, Keegan Lant, Nicole Mattson, Lucy Milde, Lauren Ovian, Drew Robert, Evan Roznoy, Rachel Scheub, Deianeira Underhill, Paige Watterson.

High Honors, Grade 9: John Burke, Sara Campopiano, Maddie Demanche, Nicole Fantoni, Adrian Gleasure, Logan King, Victoria Kvilhaug, Samantha Nicolosi, Elisa Normand, Maria Ramsay, Megan Shay, Geneva Smith, Michael Stack, Adam Sylvia; Grade 10: Haleydawn Amato, Joanna Caynon, Evan Costa, Stephanie Dondyk, Katelyn Feeney, Megan Field, Thais Gorgonha, Alexandra Hulsebosch, Marina Ingham, Maxine Kellum, Caitlyn Kutash, Tyler Menard, Hannah Powers, Julia Smith, Evan Tilley, Ashleigh Wilson, Julia Winsper; Grade 11: Alyssa Brenner, Connor Farney, Celeste Hartley, Connor Kelley, Daniel Renwick, Maxxon Wolski; Grade 12: Josefin Bakken, Isabella Bernardi, Lauren Gaspar, Kyra Greco, Isabella King, Madeline Meyer, Frederick Miller III, Hannah Rose.

Honors, Grade 9: Gabriella Amato, Samuel Austin, Michael Barry, Cassidy Bart, Danya Bichsel, Zoe Bilodeau, Marc Bourgeois, Kelly Bruce, Mary Brulport, Elsie Buckley, Tyler Bungert, Jacob Cardwell, Evan Chase, Sophia Clingman, Brielle Correia, Danielle Craig, Noah Cunningham, Henry Dolan, Jennifer Durocher, John Farrell, Katherine Gillis, Lily Govoni, Megan Guaraldo, Madeline Hartley, Mariana Hebert, Jordan Hoeg-Chick, Kristina Hopkins, Emily Humphrey, Amber Jones, Hanbyul Kang, Kaitlin Kelley, Tyler Kulak, Jillian Kutash, Christopher LaBelle, Nolan LaRochelle, Tayler Lee, Jake Mourao, Geoffrey Noonan, Avery O’Brien-Nichols, Carly O’Connell, Kevin Ovian, Madison Pedro, Elsie Perry, Chelsea Peterson, Lauren Pina, Lily Poirier, Delaney Pothier, Ana Poulin, Mia Quinlan, Aidan Ridings, Joseph Robinson, Robert Ross, Alexandria Sheehan, Justin Smith, Sarah Sollauer, Delaney Soucy, Robert Sylvester, Caroline Thomas, Julius Wagoner, Natalia Wierzbicki, Raymond Williams, Alexander Wurl, Lauren Ziino; Grade 10: Margaret Adams, Colin Bourgeois, Michael Bowen, Thomas Browning, Isabelle Choquette, Madison Cooney, Emily Cronin, Jacob DeMaggio, Rachel Demmer, Celia Deverix, Reese Donaldson, James Dwyer, Abigail Dyson, Maggie Farrell, Grace Filloramo, Bennett Fox, Alexandrea Gerard, Kyle Gillis, Lauren Gonsalves, Mackenzie Good, Riley Goulet, Kaiya Gregoire, Chase Guard, Sophie Gurney, Ayana Hartley, Kacey Henriques, Hanil Kang, Allison Kvilhaug, Zakary Labonte, Alexander le Gassick, Alexander Lorenz, Joseph MacKay, Emily Marraffa, Madisen Martin, Andrew Miller, Ethan Moniz, Mikayla Mooney, Ethan Mort, Caroline Murphy, Hannah Niemi, Gabriel Noble Shriver, Elise Parker, Alyssa Perry, Leah Przybyszewski, Marcus Rita, Jamie Roznoy, Isabella Sauro, Christopher Savino, Madeline Scheub, Michael Sivvianakis, Abigail Stark, Grace Stephens, Erin Stoeckle, Caitlin Stopka, Ari Sweet, Kendra Teixeira, Aidan Thayer, Jake Thompson, Courtney Vance, Ella Vercellone, Eleanore Wiggin, Jacob Yeomans; Grade 11: Julia Barrett, Morgan Bliss, Kyle Brezinski, Emma Cadieux, Amanda Colwell, Patrick Cummings, Griffin Dunn, Kelly Fox, Joshua Garcia, Emma Gelson, Kathleen Gifford, James Goulart, Jonathan Harris, Caleb Jagoda, Jonathan Kvilhaug, Olivia Labbe, Molly Lanagan, Diana LaRock, Madison Lawrence, Joshua Lerman, Jillian McCarthy, Thomas Miller, Madeline Morris, Tyler Mourao, Andrew Nadeau, Hannah Nadeau, Riley Nordahl, Alexis Parker, Mary Roussell, Brooke Santos, Ryson Smith, Eli Spevack, Jacob Spevack, Lauren Valente, Matthew Wyman, Emily Ziino; Grade 12: Elexus Afonso, Ashley Aruri, Emil Assing, Colleen Beatriz, Sarah Beaulieu, Amy Bichajian, Rikard Bodin, Kyle Camacho, Daniel Carneiro, Patrick Cronin, Hannah Deane, James Estudante, Emily Faulkner, Matthew Fortin, Alexus Garcia, Hailey Gray-Jenney, Brianna Grignetti, Serena Iacovelli, Jessica Keegan, Mallory Kiernan, Samantha Kirkham, Sara Lafrance, Jacob Lawrence, Madeleine Lee, Hayli Marshall, Lillian McIntire, Kyle Medeiros, Alexandra Melloni, Abigail Morrill, Victor Morrison, Jeffrey Murdock, Julian Peters, Haily Saccone, Evan Santos, William Santos, Kristina Sauerbrey, Kameron Silvia, Alexis Sweeney, Bailey Sweet, Ally Sylvia, Kayley Sylvia, Alex Tavares, Mia Vercellone, Teagan Walsh, Jared Wheeler.

December Programs at Plumb Library

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For their December book, “Just the Facts” Nonfiction Book Discussion Group, will be reading The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun by Gretchen Rubin. Rubin had an epiphany one rainy afternoon while riding on a city bus. “Time is passing, and I’m not focusing enough on the things that really matter.” In that moment, she decided to dedicate a year to finding happiness. Each month she tackled a new set of resolutions: give proofs of love, forget about the results, keep a gratitude notebook. And she read the principles of happiness by many thinkers and writers. Her conclusions were sometimes surprising, and they range from practical to profound. We will discuss this book on Thursday, December 17 at 6:30 pm. Copies are available at the desk.

The Café Parlez’ selection for December is Enchantments by Kathryn Harrison. After Rasputin is killed, his daughter Masha is sent to live with the Romanov family, hoping that she has inherited her father’s miraculous healing powers. She and Prince Aloysha strike up a friendship, and as the tsar is forced to abdicate and the family is placed under house arrest, the two teenagers tell each other stories, some embellished and some entirely imagined. This is a love story about two people who come together as everything around them is falling apart. We will discuss this book on Monday, December 28 at 6:30 pm. Books are available at the desk.

The Plumb Library is at 17 Constitution Way, Rochester. For more information, call the library at 508-763-8600 or email info@plumblibrary.com.

Gateway Youth Hockey

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Squirts: The Gateway Gladiator Squirts faced Barnstable in the State Playdown on Friday. Matthew Paling with assist from Braden Hathon got Gateway on the board. Thomas Leger had a few tricks up his sleeves making save after save in the first and showing Barnstable he was ready to guard his net. Benjamin Hebbel, Lucy Murphy, and Brady Kidney pushed to get the puck into zone to try and get another point. In the second, Barnstable was able to make two goals. Gateway needed to put the pressure on. Thomas Clavell, Jacob Hebbel, and Lucas DeMoranville played strong defense keeping the puck out of our zone. Paling, assisted by Ty David Ribeiro, was able to tie the game 2-2 before going into the third. Gateway came out strong in the third but Barnstable was able to score four more unanswered goals, which gave them the 6-2 win.

On Saturday, the Gateway Gladiator Squirts played Franklin and secured the win 8-1. In the first, Paling had a point unassisted. In the second, Gateway got the scoring going. Ribeiro had two unassisted, Paling had another unassisted and two assisted by Murphy. In the third period, Benjamin Hebbel found the back of the net with help from Kidney, and Paling got another with an assist from Murphy.

Pee Wees: The Gateway Pee Wees dropped their second game of the season in a close match against Pembroke. Pembroke got on the board early in the first, but Gateway evened the score a few minutes later off of an unassisted goal by Ben Demoranville. Pembroke scored two more goals, but Gateway came to within one late in the third when Demoranville scored off of an assist by Stephen Old. Despite pulling their goalie with 2:00 minutes remaining, Gateway was unable to net another goal and lost 3-2.

Bantams: The Gladiator Bantams continued their dominance of the Yankee Conference with a decisive win over Hanover 9-0. The scoring was led by Jack Martins and Quirino doCanto, each with a hat trick and assist. Nick Snow chipped in with two goals and Bryan Gallagher added a laser slap shot goal from just inside the blue line. Tyler Lovendale was the leader in assists with three, followed by Gallagher with two, Bethany Davis with two, and James L’Heureux with one. The shutout was shared by goalies Jake Demoranville and Zack Pateakos.

Middle School: After reeling off three wins in a row, the Middle School lost to a tough Dedham team 5-1. It was an evenly matched game in the first period. The Jr. Vikings took the lead 1-0 in the first when the shot by RJ Vickery deflected off of a Dedham defenseman, past the goalie. Dedham tied the game early in the second period, and the score remained that way until late in the second period when Dedham took the lead and didn’t look back. Alex DeMarco had another great game in net, only allowing one goal to slip by him in his time in net.