Gateway Youth Hockey

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Squirts: Gateway Gladiator Squirts played a strong game early Saturday morning versus Plymouth Red. Despite being down a few players, Gateway earned the 11-3 win. In the first period, Matthew Paling and Ty David Ribeiro both earned hat tricks with assists credited to Thomas Clavell, Brayden Hathon, Lucas DeMoranville and Ribeiro. In the second, Paling and Ribeiro each added one more goal with assists from Hathon and Paling. The third was a three-point period with two goals from Ribeiro with assists from Lucy Murphy on both and DeMoranville on one, while Paling added another for the Gladiators unassisted. Thomas Leger was strong in net and made some key saves.

Pee Wees: The Pee Wee Gladiators played their hearts out this weekend. In Game 1, the Gladiators won their Saturday morning Yankee Conference game with a surprising twist as center Ben Demoranville played goal and goalie Ryker King played center for this game. These versatile players, along with the support of their team, did not disappoint as they beat Hingham in a close 3-2 finish. King started the scoring with a goal off of an assist by RJ Vickery. King returned the favor by feeding the puck to Vickery a few minutes later for Gateway’s second goal. Hingham would score two of their own to tie the game, but with only two minutes remaining, Matthew Paling netted the game winner off of an assist by Luke Mello. In Game 2, Gateway took to the ice again on Saturday evening playing in their State Play Down game at Brown University. Once again, the team came out fighting with good positioning, passing and hard skating. The North Devils got on the board first, but Gateway evened the score with a goal by Tyler Lovendale off of an assist by Demoranville. Gateway then took the lead in the third period with a goal by Vickery off of an assist by Lovendale. The end of this game would be nothing but pure heart as Gateway tried to hold off the rush by the North Devils who pulled their goalie and tied the game with one minute remaining to force the five minute sudden death OT. Both teams fought hard for 4:59 seconds with goalie King playing an amazing game with stop after stop. The final half second in OT and a controversial call ended Gateway’s hunt for the State win with a final score of 3-2 for the North Devils.

Bantams: The Gateway Gladiators defeated Hanover 10-0 on Saturday at Hobomock. Goal scorers included James L’Hereaux (2), Quirino DoCanto (2), Zack Lovendale (2), Chris Cogan, Jack Martins, Nick Snow, and Robert Ramsay. Several goal scorers also added assists, as did Noah Demoranville.

Middle School: The Middle School Jr. Vikings won their second game in a row with a 4-2 victory over a tough Hopkinton team. It was a hard fought game right from the beginning with both teams playing stout defense, ending the first period in a scoreless tie. The score would remain that way until Jack Martins grabbed a loose puck and skated in on a breakaway, beating the goalie five hole, for the game’s first goal. Hopkinton hung tough and tied the game with six minutes left in the second period, quickly followed by a go-ahead goal. With the Jr. Vikings down a goal, Bethany Davis beat the goalie with a shot from the blue line, for her first goal of the season, while Robert Maloney screened the goalie. The Jr. Vikings thought they took the lead late in the third, when a shot taken by Seth Tomasik was deflected in by Quirino doCanto, but the shot initially called a goal was ruled a high stick. The disappointment was quickly forgotten, as less than a minute later, Tyler Lovendale tucked in a goal, set up by nice passing from line mates Robert Ramsay and doCanto. Tomasik would add an empty netter to make the final 4-2. Alex DeMarco got the start and had his best night in the net this season, saving every shot sent his way, before handing over the duties.

Lions International Peace Poster Contest

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Anna Kippenberger, a 6th grade student, has taken the first step to becoming an internationally recognized artist by winning a local competition sponsored by the Mattapoisett Lions Club. Her poster was among more than 400,000 entries submitted worldwide in the 28th annual Lions International Peace Poster Contest. Lions Clubs International is sponsoring the contest to emphasize the importance of world peace to young people everywhere. The poster was selected for its originality, artistic merit and portrayal of the contest theme “Share Peace.” The judging was held on November 4 at Old Hammondtown School.

Mattapoisett Lions Club President Rob Haley said he was impressed by the expression and creativity of the students at Old Hammondtown School. “It is obvious that these young people have strong ideas about what peace means to them. I’m so proud that we were able to provide them with the opportunity to share their visions.”

“Kippenberger’s poster will advance to face stiff competition through the district, multiple district and international rounds of competition if she is to be declared the international grand prize winner,” Haley said.

One grand prize winner and 23 merit winners will be selected. The grand prize includes a cash award of $5,000, plus a trip for the winner and two family members to an award ceremony. The 23 merit award winners will each receive a certificate and a cash award of $500.

“Our club is cheering for Anna as her poster advances in the competition, and we hope that her vision will ultimately be shared with others around the world,” Haley said.

Kippenberger and the other Peace Poster participants were honored for their participation at morning assembly at Old Hammondtown School.

Many of the Peace Posters are now on display at the Mattapoisett Post Office. View international grand prize and merit award winners at www.lionsclubs.org.

Lions Clubs International is the world’s largest service club organization with 1.36 million members in more than 46,000 clubs in 210 countries and geographic areas. In addition to its efforts towards conquering blindness, the organization has made a strong commitment to community service and helping youth throughout the world.

On the local level, the Mattapoisett Lions Club is comprised of a group of dedicated, community-minded men and women who believe in reaching out to those in need. Projects include building and repairs of the shade sheds at the town beach and Ned’s Point, wheelchair ramps for those in need, electronic recycling events, canned goods and toy drive at the Holiday in the Park, Peace Poster and Youth Speech Competition, eye glass collection, Pennies for Sight canisters, annual Senior Turkey dinner in April and our signature event Harbor Days in July. With the help of the Rochester Lions Club, we cooked and delivered more than 600 meals to those in need in New York after Hurricane Sandy.

The Lion’s Club wishes to thank the Community, Town Government and School Administration for their continued support. To find out more about the Mattapoisett Lions Club, visit our website www.mattapoisettlionsclub.org or follow us on Facebook.

RHS Thankful Potluck Supper

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The Rochester Historical Society is hosting their annual Thankful Potluck Supper on Wednesday, November 18 at 6:00 pm at the East Rochester Church/Museum at 355 County Road. This is a change of location for the supper from prior years. Please call Joanne Inman at 508-748-0373 if you will be coming and please let her know what dish you will bring. There will be a silent auction, the Gift Shop will be open, and the Rochester Fire and Police History display is still available.

Town House Forum

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To the Editor:

At the Town House Forum last Thursday evening, there was much discussion about square footage of buildings, cost per square foot, old vs. new construction, but little inquiry about the comparative merits of the two options presented by the Town House Committee. While renovating the Town House is important, focus on cost masks the bigger question of how to provide Marion residents with the services they both need and deserve.

For those not present at the meeting, Option 1 provides complete renovation of the Town House’s interior, improving the efficiency of the offices for 15-20 employees and adding a large meeting room. The renovation includes all HVAC and electrical systems and makes the building fully accessible. The cost is estimated to be $12.5 M.

Option 2 includes renovation of the Town House and uses a connecting building to expand and modernize the library and house a new senior center between the two 1870s buildings. The 148-year-old library’s only renovation took place in the early 1980s when the population of Marion was about 1,400 residents. Today, that same space is trying to serve 4,900 people and it is challenging, to say the least. There is inadequate room for children’s activities, no quiet space for adults to work and read, not enough room for books or digital materials, no space for programs on site, and deplorable accessibility for those with mobility challenges. Our new librarian, Libby O’Neill, has added technology classes, monthly programs, book groups and other innovative services but is unable to add anything further because of a lack of room. Modernizing the library would benefit every age group in town.

Option 2 also provides for a community center with space for our growing senior population, estimated to reach 40% in the next decade. Marion is the only town in the area that does not have a permanent facility dedicated to senior needs. This new center would provide program space for senior activities and socializing, room for a social day program and would house the COA offices and town’s health services. There would be a large meeting room/ kitchen, serving all three organizations, and available for day and evening meetings alike by having a separate accessible entrance, and for activities like senior lunches.

Although the price tag for Option 2 is high, namely $28.5 M, it would provide much more for the average Marion citizen. A renovated Town House would have efficient offices for town employees and a large meeting room but nothing new in the way of programs. Option 2 would expand the opportunity to serve every age group in town with improvements in services that must happen sooner or later to keep the town up-to-date. In short, Option 2 would provide three times the benefits of Option 1, for a little more than twice the cost, which seems like a better bargain for the future of Marion.

The Town House committee has indicated there are modifications that can probably be made to the current plans to bring some cost savings to the project which would be all to the good. Now Marion residents should share their preferences with the Town House Committee regarding the options. I hope there will be strong support for exploring more about Option 2, the community center concept. This is Marion’s chance to be proactive and provide for the future enjoyment of all its residents, from the youngest to the oldest.

Nancy Braitmayer, Marion

 

The views expressed in the “Letters to the Editor” column are not necessarily those of The Wanderer, its staff or advertisers. The Wanderer will gladly accept any and all correspondence relating to timely and pertinent issues in the great Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester area, provided they include the author’s name, address and phone number for verification. We cannot publish anonymous, unsigned or unconfirmed submissions. The Wanderer reserves the right to edit, condense and otherwise alter submissions for purposes of clarity and/or spacing considerations. The Wanderer may choose to not run letters that thank businesses, and The Wanderer has the right to edit letters to omit business names. The Wanderer also reserves the right to deny publication of any submitted correspondence.

Marion Grappling with Coyotes

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Marion businesses will soon be issued a Marion Board of Health order to keep a lid on their dumpsters and keep those lids tightly closed after a string of incidents of coyotes breaking into commercial trash receptacles.

“There is a very bad problem with coyotes,” said Health Director Karen Walega on November 10. “There is a huge problem right now in Marion.”

Walega cited a recent incident at Cumberland Farms on Route 6 where coyotes managed to access trash in a dumpster left uncovered.

“I see them everywhere,” said Board of Health member John Howard. In an aside, he added, “And you can’t shoot them, can you, unless you’re very clever…. Apparently, it’s illegal unless they don’t see it.” The board, in its ensuing discussion, made it clear that shooting coyotes is a crime.

Residents will also be made aware of the increasing reports of coyotes getting into trash barrels in the form of a public announcement of some sort issued by the Board of Health Office.

Meanwhile, Board of Health member Albin Johnson strongly urged residents to be aware of their trash.

“You can’t leave your trash unprotected,” said Walega. However, it seems as though coyotes are sort of taking over, as Howard put it.

“I always tell people that have cats [to] keep them indoors,” said Walega. “That’s going to be a prime target. They love cat.”

The next meeting of the Marion Board of Health is scheduled for November 24 at 4:30 pm at the Marion Town House.

By Jean Perry

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Holiday Events at Marion Art Center

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The Marion Art Center will start the season of giving with a gala opening of its Annual Holiday Shop on Friday, November 20 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. Both Galleries will feature one-of-a-kind and limited edition gifts in ceramics, fiber, photographs, wood, jewelry, paintings, glass, collage, toys, painted furniture, and more. Truman Terrell will entertain on piano in the theater while shoppers enjoy food and wine at the opening. Over 30 artists and artisans will be selling their fine arts and crafts through December 18. The Holiday Shop Hours are: Tuesday – Friday, 1:00 to 5:00 and Saturday, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Admission is free and all are welcome to come and browse the galleries to find just the perfect gift for that special someone.

Starting at 10:00 am on Saturday, December 12, Timothy Wade, local sand and ice sculptor and painter, will give an ice carving demonstration on the patio outside the Art Center on the Pleasant Street side. Meanwhile, inside the Art Center, local pastel artist Kim Weineck will give a pastel painting demonstration and wood carver Mike McCarthy of Mattapoisett Bird Works will demonstrate his carving techniques. Visitors are invited to come and watch the artisans as they transform ice into sculpture, apply pastels to paper to create beautiful portraits and landscapes, and create beautiful birds from blocks of wood. The Marion Art Center is one of the stops on the Sippican Women’s Club House Tour and visitors are cordially invited to come inside and find that one-of-a-kind gift that will be for sale in both galleries.

The Marion Art Center is pleased to host a Holiday Cabaret concert performance by the Occasion Singers on Friday, December 18 at 7:30 pm. Under the direction of Cassandra Morgan, who will also accompany on keyboard, audiences will be treated to holiday favorites including White Christmas, Christmas Tonight, Rudolph, and many more, all sung in the velvety harmonies for which the Occasion Singers are known.

Even if you have done all your shopping, the Marion Art Center Holiday Shop will be open before, during and after the show loaded with one-of-a-kind and limited edition artisan gifts, stocking stuffers, and beautiful paintings, ceramics and fine art jewelry. So come, relax, be entertained and finish up your holiday shopping. Gather your friends, reserve a table, bring your own refreshments and enjoy a wonderful night of song, shopping and friendship! Tickets to this show would make a wonderful holiday gift for that special person.

The theater will be set up cabaret style with general seating as well as eight cabaret tables which are available for reserved parties of four. Reservations are highly recommended for this one night only show! Tickets are $15 for the public and $12.50 for MAC members. For more information or to reserve tickets, call the Marion Art Center at 508-748-1266 or email at marionartcenter@verizon.net.

The Marion Art Center, a not-for-profit organization, is located at 80 Pleasant Street (corner of Main and Pleasant Streets) in Marion and has been promoting the visual and performing arts in the community since 1957.

Cushing Cemetery Corporation

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The Cushing Cemetery Corporation will hold its Annual Meeting on Tuesday, November 17 at 6:00 pm in the downstairs meeting room in the Mattapoisett Free Public Library. At this meeting, the members will be electing officers for the coming year and discussing the future of the cemetery. By definition, anyone who owns a lot in the Cemetery is considered a member and is welcome to come. Cushing Cemetery Corporation’s main objective is the care and preservation of the cemetery. There has been a large turnover in leadership in recent years, and we are looking for some new people to get involved and share their ideas. Coffee and goodies will be served. Please consider joining us.

Football Scores 40 for 4th Consecutive Week

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The postseason kicked off for the remaining Bulldogs’ sports teams this week, and there was plenty to cheer about. Chief among Bulldog triumphs were the Volleyball team’s Thursday win over Hingham, Boys’ Soccer’s 3-1 defeat of Bourne on Wednesday, and Football’s 44-22 victory over Case on Friday night.

Football: The Bulldogs rocked the Bourne Canalmen 44-8 last Friday, and they traveled to Case this week to begin a mini-road trip and continue their non-playoff post-season competition. For the 4th game in a row, the Bulldog offense lit up the scoreboard by capturing 40+ points in a 44-22 victory. The star was senior running back Darien Dumond who racked up 193 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns (two running and one receiving). Most of Case’s scoring occurred later in the game, after victory was secured; for example, the Bulldogs led 38-7 at one juncture. Their other scoring came on a touchdown run from junior back Nathan Hall and two scores via the run by junior quarterback Cam Hamilton. Next Friday, the Bulldogs head to Rockland with hopes of extending their winning streak to five and getting back to a .500 winning percentage.

Boys’ Soccer: The Bulldogs started the MIAA State Tournament at Bourne on Wednesday. The team captured an emotional 3-1 win, thanks to some stellar defense from junior goalie Sam Henrie and senior midfielder Hunter Parker. The goals came from senior Alex Tavares, senior Shane Desousa, and junior Alex Sousa. The boys’ Round 2 opponent was Norton High School. Facing them on Friday night, the boys lost 4-0 to end their season. Norton was aggressive and had many shots on goal, and Henrie made several excellent saves to keep the Bulldogs in the game. Congratulations are in order to seniors Tavares, Parker, Desousa, Kyle Medeiros, and Brett Noone on an excellent season. Also, the work of Henrie and fellow junior Sousa cannot go unnoticed, as they were two of the team’s strongest players throughout the season and hope to return the squad to the playoffs next season.

            Girls’ Soccer: Away at Bishop Stang to begin the MIAA State Tournament on Thursday, the girls lost a close 2-1 game. Despite a late comeback attempt, the girls’ season unfortunately came to an end with a loss against the Spartans. The Lady Bulldogs’ lone goal was scored by sophomore Ava Ciffolillo off an assist from freshman Maddie Demanche. Although he received the usual fantastic play of seniors Amy Bichajian and Sarah Beaulieu, Coach Jeff Lombard was able to develop some solid young players to earn another winning season. Sophomores Caitlyn Kutash, Leah Przybyszewski, and Ciffolillo, as well as freshmen Demanche and Jillian Kutash, are inspiring a good deal of optimism for the future of the program.

            Boys’ Cross Country: This week, the team’s non-varsity runners competed at the State Coaches’ Invitational meet in Wrentham. There were three different races for the Small Schools section of the meet: Junior/Senior; Sophomore; and Freshman. Among the standouts in their respective races were juniors Ryson Smith and Jacob Spevack, sophomore Evan Tilley, and freshman Patrick Janicki. Next week, the Varsity unit competes in the D-4 State Meet, which is also being hosted in Wrentham.

            Girls’ Cross Country: On the heels of last week’s victory in the SCC Championship, the Lady Bulldogs’ varsity runners earned a well-deserved rest day and the non-varsity runners got the chance to compete at the State Coaches’ invitational meet in Wrentham. As was mentioned in the Boys’ Cross Country write-up, Saturday’s races were split up by the runners’ grades. Some of the top runners on Saturday for the girls in their respective races were junior Avery Nugent, sophomore Samantha Ball, and seniors Haily Saccone, Nicole Mattson, and Rachel Scheub. The Girls’ Varsity team heads to Wrentham on Saturday, this time to run in the D-4 State meet.

            Volleyball: The girls opened up the week at home against non-conference Somerset-Berkeley on Monday. The girls captured a much-needed victory on four sets. The biggest contributors were a quartet of seniors: Zoe Smith (seven straight service points); Michaelah Nunes (a staggering 32 assists); Hayli Marshall (13 kills); and Olivia Bellefeuille (10 digs). On Thursday, they began the much-anticipated postseason tournament against Hingham. The Lady Bulldogs came out hitting as Nunes (10 service points), Smith (four kills), Bellefeuille (24 service points), and Marshall (six blocks) powered them to a victory on three consecutive sets. The scores were 25-18, 25-23, and 25-16. In the second round, the girls will face off against the well-regarded Notre Dame Academy on Monday.

            Field Hockey: The Lady Bulldogs started the week with a rare Sunday game against Falmouth High to close out their regular season. They lost that decision 1-0 despite playing competitively throughout the game. Up against Medway at home to begin the D-2 South section of the MIAA State Tournament on Tuesday, the girls lost a hard-fought 2-0 battle. Once again, sophomore goalie Riley Goulet played exceptional in goal, but the offense couldn’t get the job done. Despite losing 13 seniors from last year’s team, Field Hockey had a successful year thanks to a developing core of young stars. Among the players slated to make an impact in the future are Goulet, junior Sophia Church, sophomore Alexandra Hulsebosch, and sophomore Arissa Francis. The girls had a winning record this season, but expect even more as they hope to go deeper in the playoffs next year.

Below are the overall fall team records, followed by the conference records in wins, losses, and ties as of November 8.

Boys’ Cross Country: (6-1-0)(6-1-0); Girls’ Cross Country: (7-0-0)(7-0-0); Golf: (17-1-0)(16-0-0); Football: (4-5-0)(4-4-0); Volleyball: (13-10-0)(8-9-0); Field Hockey: (9-7-4)(8-2-4); Boys’ Soccer: (9-11-2)(8-8-2); Girls’ Soccer: (10-9-2)(9-6-1).

By Patrick Briand

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Making Thanksgiving Better, One Can At A Time

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Halloween has come and gone, with Jack-o-lanterns and ghosts being replaced with orange and yellow leaves that crinkle beneath boots. Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and turkeys everywhere are as nervous as us humans are excited for the holiday.

And, although many families gather around tables of cranberry sauce and stuffing, there are many who go hungry, even in our own Tri-Town.

At Old Rochester Regional, the members of the Community Service Learning club (CSL) are collecting canned goods in order to give every family a Thanksgiving with a table full of food.

But first, who are the members of CSL, and what do they do?

As club advisor, Heidi Graser said, “It’s a group of students that are interested and willing to do various community service acts in the local community, as well as the national community. Students that want to give back.” The group meets every other Tuesday to discuss (and carry out) ways to help the community for the greater good.

The food drive, which ends Friday, November 20, is calling on the school community to donate items like stuffing and any other nonperishable food items. There is, of course, a greater need for traditional Thanksgiving foods at this time of year.

“We have a list of food items that has been posted on the school Facebook page,” said Graser, which is quite handy for those of us who aren’t really sure what a food pantry needs to supply Thanksgiving meals.

When walking through the school, students and staff are surrounded by posters painted in shades of yellow, orange and red, as well as top-notch hand turkeys, promoting the food drive. On top of the posters, there are orange donation boxes, which have been placed in homerooms.

“All food can be donated in students’ homerooms or the front office,” said Graser. This means that community members who might not have a child at Old Rochester can drop by the main office and support the food drive if they wish.

By Sienna Wurl

 

Governor Must Sponsor Annual TM Legislation

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The state legislature told the Town of Rochester that in order to pass special legislation to accept the June 8, 2015 Annual Town Meeting, which was held without a quorum, Governor Charlie Baker must be the sponsor of the bill, not the Town of Rochester.

Selectmen authorized Town Counsel Blair Bailey and Town Administrator Michael McCue to draft and submit the special legislation to the House of Representatives on behalf of the Town to accept the results of the Annual Town Meeting. McCue told selectmen on November 1 that he planned to attend a meeting the following week with the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government to speak about the special legislation, but on November 5 McCue said he no longer needed to attend the meeting.

“We’ve been instructed by the House to go a different route in terms of seeking legislation,” McCue said on November 5 during a special morning meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen. “The route now is to petition the governor.”

The board voted, authorizing McCue to send the letter addressed to the governor to Representative Bill Straus’ office, which will then be forwarded to the governor’s office.

“This is the way we should’ve gone about this,” said Selectman Naida Parker. She cited other towns that have had to seek special legislation similar to Rochester’s situation. “So this isn’t breaking new ground.…”

Immediately after the meeting, McCue scanned a copy of the letter to send electronically to Straus’ office, and he said he would follow that with a hard copy of the letter in the mail.

Selectmen postponed the November 30 Special Fall Town Meeting last week until the Annual Town Meeting matter is resolved.

By Jean Perry

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