Nancy Ann (Dodge) Dickson

on June 10, 2016

Nancy Ann (Dodge) Dickson died peacefully in her sleep on June 8th, 2016.

She was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts on October 13, 1930, daughter of the late Gilbert and Elsie (MacLeod) Dodge and sister of the late Mary Ann Dodge. She grew up in New Bedford and graduated from New Bedford High School. Nancy attended the New England Deaconess Hospital School of Nursing in Boston where she graduated in 1951 as a Registered Nurse. It was while she was at The Deaconess that she met her future husband, James David Maxwell Dickson, who predeceased her on June 6th, 2011.

Nancy spent her entire professional career working as a nurse, first in hospital settings in Boston, Baltimore, New York and later in Wareham at Tobey Hospital as an on-call nurse in the operating room. She continued her career as a nurse in various private medical practices in Marion and Wareham, MA.

Nancy retired in 1986 and moved with her husband Jim to Northern Ireland where they enjoyed a full and active retirement at their home in the Mourne Mountains in County Down. Nancy rekindled her love of gardening in the Mournes and took pride in her flowers and beautiful window boxes. She enjoyed the company of many relatives and friends there and she and Jim traveled extensively in Ireland, the U.K., and Europe. Their home was a frequent destination point for many of their friends and relatives from Marion and around the U.S.

As a working mother, Nancy set an excellent example for her three daughters of how to successfully balance career and family. She is survived by her daughters Jane Dickson and her husband Joe Pickett of Salem, MA; Susan Dickson and her husband, Adam Bukolt of Berlin, Germany, and Sara (Lynne) Dickson and her husband, Darryl Medina, of Marion, MA. Six grandchildren also survive her: Kevin and Conor Pickett; Kendra, Allison and Max Medina; and Oskar Bukolt.

Nancy will be remembered for her hospitality, excellent cooking, and amazing Christmas Eve celebrations in Marion–especially the scalloped oysters, Swedish meatballs, and abundance of Christmas cookies!

A service of remembrance and celebration of Nancy’s Life will be held on Friday August 19, 2016 at 1PM at Saint Gabriel’s Episcopal Church in Marion.

Donations in Nancy’s memory may be made to support the work of Missions for Humanity (www.missionsforhumanity.org) where her daughter, Sara, and grandchildren, Kendra, Allison and Max have participated in medical mission trips to Tanzania. You may donate online or send a check to Missions for Humanity, PO Box 9512, Fall River, MA 02720. Arrangements are by the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Mattapoisett. For online condolence book, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

From Horse Drawn to Horseless Carriage

on June 10, 2016

Rochester Historical Society presents “From Horse Drawn to Horseless Carriage” with Richard Cutler. Richard Cutler, Trustee of the Horseless Carriage Education Institute, will present the program at the Rochester Historical Society on Wednesday, June 15 at 7:00 pm at the East Rochester Church/Museum, 355 County Road.

Not long after the time of the American Civil War, clever people attempted to make carriages that could move under their own power. These vehicles were crude, but were the beginnings of what we now call automobiles. The concept was to place an engine or electric motor of some kind in a carriage and make it horseless.

The HCEI and most antique car clubs consider “horseless carriages” to be any car manufactured prior to 1916. A 40-minute video produced by the HCEI will take the viewer up from the beginning to this period of time. This is a fast-paced history lesson with some fascinating period footage showing not only cars of the period, but also the visionaries that put America on wheels.

After the video, there will be a question and answer period. Weather permitting, some examples of horseless carriages that would have been traversing the local roads (and still do!) will be available for a little show and tell for anyone who is interested.

All are welcome to this glimpse into transportation history.

Marion Recreation Summer Programs Coordinator

on June 10, 2016

Longtime employee and counselor Brian Tranfaglia takes the helm at Silvershell Beach this summer. Brian Tranfaglia is a rising senior at Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, NH. Majoring in Health Sciences, Tranfaglia plans to pursue a career as a Physical Therapist. On campus, he is involved in Peer Leading, the Science Inquiry Scholars program, is captain of the Ultimate Frisbee team and has been the University’s Biology Tutor for the past two years.

Brian has an extensive history of working with children of all ages. Substituting at Center and Old Hammondtown Schools and being a counselor at the Silvershell Summer Program for the past 4 years have provided Brian with a significant amount of experience working with children in grades Pre-K through 6th. In addition, being a high school and college Peer Leader as well as a biology tutor, has offered Tranfaglia the opportunity to work with young adults as well. Serving as head counselor last year, Brian is eager to take on the position of Coordinator and is looking forward to another fun, successful summer. Brian will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Marion Summer at Silvershell program, coordinating activities for program participants, supervising staff, and organizing weekly field trips to area “fun spots.” Want to join Brian this summer? There is still time to register. Visit www.marionreacreation.com to learn more about summer programs.

Mattapoisett Town Beach Opening Day

on June 10, 2016

Mattapoisett Town Beach Opening Day will be held on Saturday, June 25 from 12:00 – 3:00 pm. Join us for games, crafts, face painting and an Ice Cream Sundae Party. This will be a fun afternoon for the whole family. Rain date is Sunday, June 26 from 12:00 – 3:00 pm. For more information, contact Mattapoisett Recreation at mattrec@mattapoisett.net or call us at 508-758-4548.

Bulldog Teams Excel in Tournament Play

on June 10, 2016

Seven of ORR’s eight spring sports teams competed in postseason play this week. Five of those teams competed in state tournament play, with all five winning their first round games to advance to the second round. Meanwhile, the boys’ and girls’ track teams capped off their seasons by participating at All-States. The most impressive win of the week belonged to girls’ lacrosse, which defeated Ursuline Academy 19-11 due to their high-octane offensive attack. In addition, junior Danny Renwick of the boys’ track team will advance to New England’s meet after finishing sixth in the high hurdles at the All-State meet.

Baseball: On Thursday, the Bulldogs faced Hanover High at home in the first round of the D-3 State Tournament. Junior pitcher Sam Henrie pitched a gem, striking out 13 hitters in a 7-3 win. He also aided his own effort by collecting two hits and an intentional walk at the plate. A four-run sixth inning sealed the game for the ‘Dogs, who received two hits apiece from juniors Henrie, Cam Hamilton, John Breault, Will Hopkins, and Kyle Brezinski, as well as sophomore Jake Asiaf. This Monday, the boys are up against Dedham High (on the road) in the second round.

Boys’ Lacrosse: The Bulldogs were on the road at Tri-County Regional Voc-Tech on Wednesday to begin the state tournament. Defense proved to be the name of the game in an 11-3 win. Freshman goalie Nathaniel King racked up 12 saves, and he was supported by strong defense from juniors Justin Shay, Gavin Fox, and Nick Rego. Junior Pat Saltmarsh led the offense by scoring four goals, while fellow junior Charlie Tirrell added three. The team’s leading scorer, junior Landon Gougen, scored two goals and added an assist. On Sunday, the ‘Dogs took on Nantucket High on the island in Round 2. Unfortunately, they were defeated 13-4 to end their season against a strong competitor. Tirrell, Gougen, and sophomore Alex Lorenz all had a goal and an assist in the loss. This game capped off what was otherwise an extremely promising season for the Bulldogs, who return all their players next season and enter as likely favorites in the SCC due to their wide base of talent.

Girls’ Lacrosse: The Lady Bulldogs played Ursuline Academy in the first round of the state tournament on Wednesday at home. Despite falling behind 4-0 early, they stayed positive and ran up a ton of goals to take a 9-6 lead at halftime. Their offensive barrage continued in the second half, and the final score was an overwhelming 19-11 in favor of ORR. Junior Emily Hiller led the team with five goals, while sophomore Alexandra Hulsebosch scored four. Sophomore midfielders Maddie Cooney and Maggie Adams scored three apiece in the big win. The girls will continue on at Cohasset High in Round 2 on Monday.

Boys’ Track: Danny Renwick participated in the All-State Meet at Westfield State University on Saturday. The junior finished sixth in the 110m hurdles with a time of 15.16 and will move on to the New England meet in New Britain, Connecticut next Saturday.

Girls’ Track: On Saturday, the girls’ 4x800m team and senior hurdler Zoe Smith competed in the All-State Meet at Westfield State University. Smith finished 11th in the 100m hurdles with a time of 15.7, concluding an excellent senior season and career. The distance relay team – composed of sophomores Samantha Ball and Madisen Martin, junior Avery Nugent, and senior Nina Bourgeois – finished 19th but ran an extremely solid time of 9:57.8. That completed another undefeated season for girls’ track, which ranked well at the state competitions and once again dominated their opponents in the SCC. With many great young runners, they are set up well for years to come at both the local and state levels.

Boys’ Tennis: The Bulldogs faced Dedham High at home on Friday to kick off their run in the State Tournament. They won 5-0, dominating from start to finish. The boys’ singles winners were sophomore Sam Pasquill and juniors Alex Bilodeau and Caleb Jagoda, respectively. The doubles pairings were composed of junior Josh Lerman with sophomore Jahn Pothier and juniors Max Asker and Maxxon Wolski. On Monday, the boys will face Martha’s Vineyard at home as they look to continue their run.

Girls’ Tennis: The girls were home against Cape Cod Academy on Thursday to begin their State Tournament run. They won a narrow match, 3-2, thanks to their fantastic doubles play. Both doubles teams won, with freshman Delaney Pothier and junior Emma Collings forming one team, and juniors Katelyn Bindas and Alexis Parker making up the other. The team’s other win came from senior Morgan Middleton at #1 Singles. The girls will be staying home on Monday to face Norwell High in Round 2.

Below are the overall spring team records, followed by the conference records in wins, losses, and ties as of June 5.

Baseball: (13-7-0)(12-4-0); Softball: (8-13-0)(6-8-0); Boys’ Track: (8-1-0)(7-1-0); Girls’ Track: (9-0-0)(8-0-0); Boys’ Lacrosse: (11-6-0)(9-1-0); Girls’ Lacrosse: (12-5-0)(6-2-0); Boys’ Tennis: (18-2-0)(13-1-0); Girls’ Tennis: (19-3-0)(12-2-0).

By Patrick Briand

A Night of ‘Sciencing at RMS’

on June 10, 2016

You don’t need to be of elementary school age to ponder the mysteries of the Universe, such as, which type of gum keeps its flavor the longest: regular or sugar-free? You can still be an adult and enjoy the sensory experience of making a model of a volcano spill and fizz by dumping a packet of Pop Rocks into it. And as Rochester Memorial School students demonstrated the evening of June 6 during the annual science fair, even kids can come up with solutions to global warming.

Meet the RMS students who put their minds together in the name of science to seek the answers to some of life’s most phenomenal phenomena, like Brock, Andrew, and Zack, a trio of second-graders who set out to discover if the flavor lasts longer in sugarless gum or in regular gum.

“We asked second graders which flavor lasts the longest,” said Brock. Twenty-eight guessed regular, while 27 guessed sugar-free gum. “I was surprised,” Brock said when he found out that it was indeed sugarless gum that kept its flavor the longest.

Andrew thought it would be sugar-free, he chimed in, satisfied that his hypothesis was correct.

Just across the way, second grade student Madison Detrani was carefully pouring baking soda into the kortous (top) of a model volcano, and mixing vinegar with red dye and pouring it in. Next, she delighted in emptying a packet of cherry Pop Rocks into the mix to release a sizzling solution of fizzing lava down the sides of the volcano.

“It (the Pop Rocks) makes it have a bubbling sound,” Detrani said.

Strolling through the cafetorium, one passed an abundance of ‘sciency’ secrets solved, as well as how the groups came up with the conclusions to their provocative questions. Can eggs bounce? (Yes, gently). What solution is best for keeping an apple slice from turning brown? (Lemon juice).

Blake Gagne, second grade, took another approach to his science project, setting out to solve one of the world’s most pressing problems: saving the world from global warming.

Gagne explored the way animal flatulence creates methane gas that, in turn, contributes to climate change. He thought up a good way to effectively capture that methane gas before it escapes into the atmosphere. His preferred method was a “methane-capturing device” – a diaper, essentially, filled with coffee grounds.

Gagne displayed a photo of a cow wearing a crude form of a diaper, and he tested the method with his own dog, Chloe. He spent four hours observing his dog with her methane-capturing device tied around her bottom to capture her occasional bursts of methane. He not only tried filling it with coffee grounds, but he also tried charcoal, and found that both likely would do the job okay.

Chloe, Gagne said, was indeed very cooperative, and likely earned him a prize in the Science Fair.

“This is phenomenal,” said RMS Principal Derek Medeiros. “This is the epitome of hands-on learning. This is what kids can get passionate about … and it’s great.”

By Jean Perry

Richard Cunningham

on June 9, 2016

Richard Cunningham, 77, died Monday, June 6th, 2016 at his summer home in Mattapoisett, Massachusetts. He was the sweet, loving husband of Sarah DeWalt.

Richard was born in Philadelphia, PA and spent many years in Texas before settling in Massachusetts. For the past ten years, he and Sally enjoyed retirement at their home on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

Richard served in the United States Air Force and went on to pursue a Masters in Engineering from the University of Texas. For twenty-five years he was an engineer and project manager for Parsons Corporation in Boston, Massachusetts. Along with his passion for woodworking, Richard and Sally made a great team restoring antique homes.

Richard is loved and greatly missed by his daughters, Susan Jordan and her husband, Travis, of Fort Worth, Texas, Tracy Harvey and her husband, Jerry, of Hurst, Texas, and his stepdaughter, Sarah Filandrianos and her husband, Ted, of Duxbury, Massachusetts. He is survived by his sister, Marion McAlister, of New Hope, Pennsylvania and his former wife, Ada Cunningham, of Arlington, Texas. He is remembered fondly by his grandchildren, Amanda Brazell of North Richland, Texas, Samantha Carter of Hurst, Texas and Benjamin, Zachary and Eliza Roberts of Duxbury, Massachusetts, as well as his great-grandchildren, Victoria, Heather, Benjamin and Mackenzie.

The family will hold a memorial to celebrate Richard’s life at a later date at Old Town Landing Cemetery, Marion, MA.

June Programs at Plumb Library

on June 9, 2016

Registration for the Plumb Library’s Summer Library program – Ready, Get Set, Read! – started on June 1 and continues through July 4. Register at www.plumblibrary.com. Programs for June are:

– Thursday, June 23, 6:30 to 7:30 pm: Brain Circus at the Congregational Church, for ages 5 and up. Thanks to the Rochester Cultural Council.

– Saturday, June 25, 10:30 am to 1:30 pm: Ride Your Bike to the Library Day!

– Sunday, June 26, 10:00 to 11:00 am: Yoga for Relaxation at Studio 105 – for adults only!

– Wednesday, June 29, 10:30 to 11:15 am: Toe Jam Puppet Band Workout!

On Monday, June 20 at 6:30 pm, Larry Dapsis of the Cape Cod Cooperative Extension Service will give a talk on Deer Ticks and Lyme Disease at the Plumb Library, 17 Constitution Way, Rochester. Space is limited and pre-registration is requested. Please go the Events Calendar at www.plumblibrary.com or call the library at 508-763-8600 for more information and to register.

Through the month of June, the Friends of Plumb Library are collecting clean, used clothing, linens, and shoes as a fund-raiser through Savers. Donations can be left at the library during regular business hours until June 30. For more information, please call the library at 508-763-8600.

For their June book, “Just the Facts” Nonfiction Book Discussion Group, will be reading A Kim Jong-Il Production: The Extraordinary True Story of a Kidnapped Filmmaker, His Star Actress, and a Young Dictator’s Rise to Power by Paul Fischer. Before becoming the world’s most notorious dictator, Kim Jong-Il ran North Korea’s film studios. Conceiving every movie made, he acted as producer and screenwriter. Despite this control, he was underwhelmed by the available talent and ordered the kidnapping of Choi Eun-Hee, South Korea’s most famous actress, and her ex-husband Shin Sang-Ok, the country’s most famous filmmaker. This is the story of their imprisonment and eventual escape. We will discuss this book on Thursday, June 16 at 6:30 pm. Copies are available at the desk.

The Café Parlez’ selection for June is Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane. U.S. Marshall Teddy Daniels has come to Shutter Island, home of the Ashecliffe Hospital for the Criminally Insane to find an escaped patient, a murderer named Rachel Solando, as a hurricane bears down on the island. But nothing at Ashecliffe is as it seems, and neither is Teddy Daniels. Is he there to find a missing patient or has he been sent to look into rumors of Ashecliffe’s radical approach to psychiatry? Or is there another, more personal reason why he has come there? We will discuss this book on Thursday, June 30 at 6:30 pm. Books are available at the desk.

The Rochester Council on Aging book group will be discussing The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford. Copies are available at the Plumb Library, and the book group will meet at the COA on Dexter Lane on Tuesday, June 14 at 10:15am. Please bring your library card to the meeting.

Gear up for summer and celebrate science with STEM activities at the library, sponsored by the Early Childhood Office. All activities are hands-on and are meant for children ages 3-6 and their grown-ups. Programs will run from June 21 to 24: from 10:30 to 11: 15 am on Tuesday, June 21; Wednesday, June 22; Friday, June 24; and from 1:30 to 2:15 pm on Thursday, June 23. Call the Early Childhood Office at 508-748-1863 to register.

Group Tour of the New Bedford Whaling Museum

on June 9, 2016

The Mattapoisett Free Public Library is coordinating a Guided Group Tour of the New Bedford Whaling Museum on Friday, June 24 at 1:00 pm. Come join us to see and experience the Museum and its new exhibits since its new expansion. Group rates apply which are $13/person.

The group will meet in the Museum lobby at 1:00 pm. The tour lasts up to 90 minutes, so there will be plenty of time for you to further explore the Museum, the Whaling National Historic Park, the Waterfront Area, or local shops and restaurants.

Please register for this event by calling the Mattapoisett Library at 508-758-4171 or emailing rsmith@sailsinc.org, and provide your name, contact information, and number of people attending.

The Whaling Museum is located at 18 Johnny Cake Hill in New Bedford. Its phone number is 508-997-0046. The Whaling Museum is fully handicap accessible. Information about parking can be found on the Museum’s website at https://www.whalingmuseum.org/visit/hours-directions.

Senior Walk

on June 9, 2016

Former Sippican School seniors of the Class of 2016 re-visited the school for one last time as students on Friday, June 3 during the “Senior Walk.” ORR graduating seniors of Mattapoisett and Rochester also visited their respective elementary schools greeted with applause from students and staff as they paraded through the halls of time that led them to this milestone in their lives. Photos by Erin Bednarczyk