Tabor to Host Fall Dance Recital

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Don’t miss the Tabor Academy Fall Dance Recital on November 12 at 6:30 pm in the Fireman Center for the Performing Arts at Tabor Academy at 235 Front Street, Marion. This year, the dance team is 23 strong! They will perform five hip hop routines, a theatre routine to “Money” from Cabaret, a ballet excerpt from Paquita, a contemporary and a flamenco-style tap routine. There will be many solos and duets.

Last year was one of the strongest years yet for Tabor’s dance team. The team attended three competitions and won first place awards at each. At the largest competition, Starpower in Rhode Island, the team secured their place in the world championships for their hip-hop routine.

The event is free and open to the public at 235 Front Street in Marion. Why not enjoy a night of dance in Marion?

Florence Eastman Post 280

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The monthly meeting of the Florence Eastman Post 280 will be held at the Post Hall at 7:00 pm on November 18. At this meeting, we will review the Veterans’ Day Ceremony of November 11 and our upcoming fundraising efforts, as well as the pending dues changes that will be effective January 1, 2016 when any outstanding, over due dues, will be charged the new rate of $35 as a result of national and state increases.

Bring your ideas for these endeavors as we cannot function without our members’ support and, obviously, the support of the great folks in our area who always patronize our efforts. Please mention this meeting to members you may know as everyone should be involved with the subject matters. The Hall is always available for rental. Just contact one of our members or call Mike at 508-758-9311.

New Student Breakfast

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Change is intimidating, even for those who appear to be fearless. For the transfer students at Old Rochester Regional High School, change meant leaving their friends behind and moving into an entirely new school system, completely unsure about what to expect.

These students are on a totally different playing field from the incoming freshmen, who only had to deal with a school switch. These students were forced into a lifestyle switch. Not having previously-established friends meant walking into a new school alone, starting over from scratch, and hoping to make friends.

In order to make these transfer students feel more welcome and more at home, the AmbassadOR Club held a new student breakfast. Invitations were handwritten by the AmbassadORs and sent to the new students of ORR. On Tuesday morning, AmbassadORs and transfers flooded into the Media Center, where food was shared and friends were made.

Although taking time out of the school day to meet new people may seem odd, the students involved felt it was helpful in order to meet the people whom they may not normally run into during the school day.

“A lot of us hadn’t had the opportunity to really meet them [the transfers],” said junior Tessa Camboia, “so it was really nice having a set period of time to talk to everyone.”

Members of the AmbassadOR club were asked to bring breakfast foods and drinks. Of course, this resulted in boxes and boxes of Dunkin’ Donuts. (What high schooler doesn’t love Dunkin’, after all?)

On top of donuts, there were homemade cinnamon rolls, fruit platters, orange juice, and a plethora of other delicious breakfast foods.

The students talked over their breakfast with old and new friends, everybody equally enjoying a sweet, delightful start to their day.

“We made their transition into this school easier,” thought Diana LaRock, an AmbassadOR.

Was this activity actually helpful, or a bust? Not one single student had anything bad to say about the breakfast.

AmbassadOR Josh Garcia believed it made students feel closer to each other.

“I think that it was a great way to bring the student body together and get to know one another,” Garcia said. Many, if not all, of the students felt the same way. A number of them expressed wishes for the breakfast to become an Old Rochester tradition, as junior Madison Barber said, “I look forward to it next year.”

Not only did the breakfast benefit the transfers from other countries, but also transfers from other school districts and school choice freshmen. As AmbassadOR Julia Barrett said, “I think it was especially nice for the freshmen who were school choice because they didn’t really know a lot of people, so we got to introduce ourselves to them.”

By Sienna Wurl

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Leona M. (Bellotti) Freitas

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Leona M. (Bellotti) Freitas, 95, of Mattapoisett passed away Monday November 9, 2015 at the New Bedford Jewish Convalescent Home. She was the beloved wife of Manuel C. Freitas; they had been married for 42 years.

Born in New Bedford, the daughter of the late John E. and Evelyn (Desmarais) Bellotti, she lived in New Bedford and Mattapoisett for many years.

She was a communicant of St. Anthony’s Church in Mattapoisett, where she was active in many parish functions and activities.

Mrs. Freitas worked along side her husband at Adrian Advertising in New Bedford.

She was a member of the Mattapoisett Senior Citizens.

Survivors include her loving husband; a daughter, Elaine Lambert and her husband Terry of New Hampshire; a granddaughter, Lisa Hurley and her husband Joe; her sisters-in-law, Mary C. Bellotti of New Bedford and Laura Pimenta of Taunton; and several nieces and nephews.

She was the sister of the late John and Louis Bellotti.

Her Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Friday November 13, 2015 at 10 AM at St. Anthony’s Church, Mattapoisett. Burial will follow in Pine Grove Cemetery, New Bedford. Visitation will be on Friday from 8:30-9:30 AM at the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Route 6, Mattapoisett. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

Accidental Lockdown at Sippican School

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At 10:30 this morning at Sippican Elementary School in Marion an automated message went out over the schools’ PA system announcing that the building was on lockdown. As a result of this notification students and staff followed the lockdown procedures. Marion Police and administration conducted a sweep of the building. There were no threats or intruders reported to be in the building. Classes and school activities were allowed to resume as normal within fifteen minutes.

After further investigation the cause of the notification was due to hardware malfunction. The problem has been corrected. An all-call and e-mail were sent to all families assuring them that the school and the students were safe.

Tri-Town to Honor Vets with Ceremonies

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November 11 is a significant date in history – for the United States and for the world. At the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918, “the war to end all wars” was officially over when the armistice between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect.

We now annually observe the significance of this date by honoring all veterans of all wars on Veterans Day, which became an official national holiday in 1938.

Each year, Tri-Town honors its vets during two different ceremonies in Mattapoisett and Marion and a dinner in Rochester.

In Mattapoisett, the Florence Eastman Post 280 of the American Legion will host its annual Veterans Day observance at Old Hammondtown School at 11:00 am.

The guest speaker this year is Technical Sergeant Sara D.J. Garde, a decorated veteran who has served in the Armed Forces for over 15 years.

Enlisting in the Army in 1996, Garde then spent three years in the National Guard before joining the Army reserves just after September 11, 2001. She served an 18-month deployment to Kuwait and Iraq in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

In 2008, Garde enlisted in the Air Force Reserves as a medical technician and, in 2012, she was deployed to Germany for six months to care for wounded military personnel and civilian personnel. She has since earned her Bachelor’s degree in Practical Nursing technology and is currently the education and training manager of the Aeromedical Staging Squadron at Westover Air Force Base in Chicopee, Massachusetts.

Garde has received 17 military awards and decorations including the Bronze Star Medal, Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Iraq Campaign Medal with Bronze Star Device, and Army Overseas Service Ribbon.

Garde now lives in Mattapoisett.

The ceremony will feature the Old Hammondtown Concert Band and HMS Chorus, a prayer by Chaplain Richard Langhoff, and a speech by State Representative William Straus.

The Town of Mattapoisett will offer free lapel pins to Mattapoisett veterans who attend the ceremony. If any Mattapoisett veterans wishing to receive a pin are unable to attend, they may contact the Department of Veterans Services by calling 508-758-4100 ext. 212.

In Marion, the Benjamin Cushing VFW Post 2425 will hold its Annual Town of Marion Veterans Day Observance at 11:00 am in the all-purpose room at Sippican School.

Belmiro J. Barros, Jr. serves as the commander, and Master of Ceremonies is Colonel Joseph F. Napoli, Ret.

The short program will honor all veterans, past and present.

The Rochester Council on Aging will host its Annual Veterans Day Dinner on Tuesday, November 10 from 5:00 to 8:00 pm at the Senior Center located at 67 Dexter Lane. Tri-Town veterans are invited to attend. Attendees must register ahead of time and make a reservation, as every year the event fills to capacity. To make a reservation, contact 508-763-9315.

The Wanderer wishes to thank all the men and women who have served our country and who are currently serving in the military. We would also like to thank the families of veterans and those actively serving in the military for their sacrifice.

*This article has been updated to reflect a change of venue for the Marion Veterans Day observance.

By Jean Perry

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Rochester ConCom Endorses Water Bylaw

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“I’m for it one hundred percent,” Rochester Conservation Commission Chairman Rosemary Smith said on November 3 in response to a positive vote by the commission – voting in favor of surface water protection bylaws.

Conservation Agent Laurell Farinon, also a member of the Mattapoisett River Valley Water Supply Protection Advisory Committee (MRVWSPAC), asked the commission to review a draft of bylaws developed by the MRVWSPAC. The goal, as stated by Farinon, is to protect the surface water supply from commercial water taking and possible fresh water contamination.

Farinon reminded the ConCom that water taking from Snipatuit Pond and Mattapoisett River by various commercial entities has been a problem, not only for Rochester, but also for other towns that are members of the MRVWSPAC.

“The advisory committee has looked at this issue over the years,” Farinon said. “We need a mechanism to prohibit withdrawal of surface water…. We’ve looked at the Wetlands Protection Act, but it is difficult to enforce…. We have to prove disturbance,” said Farinon.

Farinon said she had conferred with the DEP who advised that local bylaws were “the real true way we can deal with this.” She told them that the water commissioners will be sponsoring an article for a subsequent town meeting warrant for the bylaws, but wanted the Conservation Commission’s support and endorsement as well. They unanimously moved to support and endorse the bylaws.

Presently, the document is a draft with language to be finalized in the coming weeks. Once that is completed, the Conservation Commission will have a final look at the bylaws before they go before the voters.

Farinon said the selectmen will announce a 2016 date for a Special Town Meeting in light of the postponement of the November 30 Special.

In other business, a Request for Determination of Applicability filed by Gordon Sylvia, 681 Walnut Plain Road, for the removal of trees blown down by storms in 2013, was given a negative determination and was approved.

A request for a Certificate of Compliance for Steven Striar, Old Schoolhouse Road, was granted.

The next meeting of the Rochester Conservation Commission is scheduled for November 17 at 7:00 pm in the Rochester Town Hall meeting room.

By Marilou Newell

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Rare Book Expert Ken Gloss to Speak

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Kenneth Gloss, proprietor of the internationally known Brattle Book Shop in Boston’s Downtown Crossing, will give a talk on Tuesday, November 10 at 6:30 pm on the value of old and rare books. The talk will be held at the Hayden Library at Tabor Academy, 71 Spring Street, Marion, MA, and is free and open to the public.

Mr. Gloss, a frequent guest appraiser on PBS’ Antiques Roadshow, will talk in part about the history of his historic bookshop, one of America’s oldest and largest antiquarian bookstores going back to around 1825. He will also show some of his favorite finds and describe some of the joys of the “hunt,” as well as explain what makes a book go up in value. He has many fascinating anecdotes to share as well as guidelines for what to look for when starting a collection.

In Antiques Roadshow fashion, following the talk, Mr. Gloss will offer free verbal appraisals of all books attendees have brought with them.

Ken has appeared as a guest appraiser on PBS’s Antiques Roadshow numerous times over the years and has been a popular guest on WBZ Radio as well as other radio, TV, and cable stations. His bylined articles continue to appear in various antique journals and in print and online consumer publications.

For further information about this talk and more about book-collecting, appraisals and future free and open talks by Ken Gloss, please visit the Brattle Books website at www.brattlebookshop.com, or call them toll-free at 800-447-9595.

Special Olympics at Tabor Academy

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Special Olympics Massachusetts (SOMA) is excited to announce its newest Young Athletes program. In partnership with Tabor Academy in Marion, MA, this program will bring developmentally appropriate active play to families in the South Coast region. Special Olympics Young Athletes™ is a unique sport and play program for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The focus is on fun activities that are important to mental and physical growth. Through the program, children between the ages of 2 and 7 years will be introduced to games and active programs designed to develop motor skills and hand-eye coordination.

The program at Tabor was born of a partnership between math teacher, Tim Cleary and Senior, Molly Bent. Mr. Cleary joined the Tabor faculty in 2015 coming from Suffield Academy (CT). Speaking on his involvement in Special Olympics, Mr. Cleary said “I was lucky enough to work with a passionate group of students at my last school as we brought Special Olympics programming to campus in a meaningful way. When we made the decision to bring our family up to Marion and Tabor Academy, I knew this was work I wanted to continue.” He added, “It is a great chance to use the beautiful facilities that Tabor has for a population that sometimes struggles to find field or court space. Not only that, it gives Tabor students an opportunity to learn about life through a different lens.” As it turns out, the Tabor community is excited about this opportunity to give back. Cleary remarked, “Over 120 students wanted to be part of our Special Olympics group. Everyone at Tabor has been so supportive of us moving forward with this important work.”

The other driving force behind the program is Tabor Senior Molly Bent who said, “When Mr. Cleary mentioned that he wanted to start a Special Olympics program here at Tabor, I thought it was a great idea. I think the Tabor community will bring a lot of enthusiasm when helping out with the Young Athletes. And I also think they will really enjoy the opportunity to work with these kids – it’s almost impossible to leave something like this without a smile on your face.” Molly’s sister, Sarah, is an 11 year-old with Downs Syndrome who visits campus to see Molly play sports. It was the welcoming nature and culture of caring that gave Molly confidence that Tabor would be a good fit for the program explaining, “Every time she [Sarah] comes to Tabor, the community is always so nice to her. My friends love to come up to her and say hello, and just a few weeks ago, two students and a teacher walked her to my soccer game when they saw her walking near the wrong field.”

This is not Molly’s first experience with Special Olympics Massachusetts. Ten years ago, Molly’s mother started participating in the Hyannis Jolly Jaunt – a 5K race to benefit Special Olympics Massachusetts. Her team is “Sarah’s team,” in honor of her daughter. “Our family and friends have been incredibly supportive and many of them are members of our team each year. My soccer and basketball teammates at Tabor, as well as some other students and teachers, have ran for Sarah’s team the past two years. It is such a fun event!” said Molly.

This program is kicking off with free “Open House” sessions this fall. Please join us from 2:00 – 3:00 pm on November 8, November 15, December 6 and December 13 at Cardinal Cushing Centers, 405 Washington Street, Hanover, MA. A full eight-week program will begin in January 2016. Additional information can be found at www.specialolympicsma.org/youngathletes.

ORCTV’s Holiday Greetings

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ORCTV invites you to come and share the holiday spirit with us! Old Rochester Community Television is offering another Holiday Greetings shoot days for your family, organization or group. We are opening up our studios on December 8, 9 and 10 to sing a song, tell a story, or just say happy holidays to your fellow Tri-Town residents. This is a nice way to spread the seasonal spirit or to bring awareness to your business, event or organization. Yes, your business can come to our studio, create a non-commercial greeting that will then go on air over the ORCTV channels during the holiday season. ORCTV will cover the technical aspects. You just need to come in and spread your holiday cheer for the cameras!

The Holiday Greetings will play on the local cable channels and can be seen by thousands of Tri-Town residents. ORCTV channels are seen by anyone who has Comcast or Verizon cable. Use this opportunity to raise awareness for your mission and goals or to let residents know who you are. This is a free service to local residents, nonprofits, organizations, groups and town departments. Just a reminder, we are now located at ORRHS. Call 508-758-2300 to reserve a time slot and to get directions.

Pick a half hour slot on Tuesday, December 8 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, Wednesday, December 9 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, or Thursday, December 10 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. You must call to reserve a slot.